Moment By Moment
by Faux Promises
Summary: More powerful than even time, there is love. It transcends minutes, days, and years, for it exists eternally in each and every moment. A tale of Sheena and Zelos for each month of the year. Sheelos.
1. January

Disclaimer: No ownership of ToS.

_Revised 4/27/12: _Allocated all A/N to the end of the chapters, to minimize any distracting-ness to the reader.

**January**

x x x

Being a ninja, Sheena Fujibayashi considered herself particularly skilled at certain things. One of these things, she had known for a long time, was the ability to tell who was at her door depending on the knock. She could do this with other sounds, naturally, such as footsteps, but this one she prided herself on especially. That seemed a bit foolish, she thought at times; most people of her race did not bother to learn to distinguish knocks. The enemy wasn't going to knock politely on your door and ask to come in, of course.

It was as a woman, however, not as a ninja, that she valued this little talent. It was important to know when one should open the door or not. She liked to be sure of who it was she was going to be dealing with at any given time. Especially since she did so value her privacy.

Lying on the bed contentedly with a book in her hands, she didn't feel much like getting up at all, really. The summoner became aware of how cold her body was once she looked up, jerked out of the little fantasy world of reading by the sound of a rapping on the door. _'Tis some visitor, tapping at my chamber door…only this and nothing more!_ She smiled wryly at her little literary joke, poor though it was, and stuck a bookmark in her place as she wrapped a small blanket around her. There was a reason why she never came to Flanoir of her own free will, and the year-round cold was exactly it.

What the lazy Chosen One wanted with her late at night was beyond her, considering he usually spent as much time sleeping as possible. Although…she recalled him once saying, probably a while ago, that it was the only escape one had from the horrible reality of the waking world. He had laughed when he said this, flashing her that smirk that he had taken to wearing almost constantly as of late, but somehow she had gotten the distinct impression that he really did mean what he had said. That was easy to tell when someone's eyes betrayed the rest of their attitude.

Zelos looked up at her with an awkward smile when she opened the door on him, her hair mussed up from lying down for as long as she had been and her makeshift night clothes hanging down far enough to expose her cleavage. His eyes wanted to go in that direction right away, although he fortunately stopped himself. He didn't find the courage to come bother her right now only to leave with a sore cheek and injured pride.

"Heh…I didn't think you'd be a night owl tonight, hunny," he teased her quietly, coming in without invitation before anyone else in the inn might overhear them. "You ought to be getting your beauty sleep. But then again…" He put a finger to his temple in mock thinking. "It's probably the best time for banshees to go on the haunt, hm?"

Glowering at him, she brought her hand up in warning. "You're the idiot who came to see _me_, remember? I didn't get out from under the warm covers to be insulted."

He glanced over in the direction of said bed, smiling when he brought his gaze back to her. "Well, if that's your concern, I don't mind helping you warm up the bed. That is, if…"

Her frown increased dramatically as she stepped closer to him threateningly, not in the least bit intimidated that he had several inches on her. He got the picture when he bumped instinctively into the door behind him, shrinking a bit from her rage. "…Or, I could just tell you why I _am _here," he conceded in a murmur, not looking at her this time.

She didn't relax her ferocity, well aware that it had actually worked for once in subduing him. "_Which would be…?_"

"You remember…our agreement?" The Chosen continued to look down, scratching his head in a Lloyd-like fashion that she found rather uncouth. Seeing him falter like that would have been pretty amusing if it wasn't one in the morning right now.

Already visibly exhausted with even such a short exchange, Sheena released a loud sigh. "Are we talking about the one in which you aren't to attempt to grab any part of me? I remember agreeing to that one, at least…"

He shook his head. "No, the one from when ah...you-know-who…um…"

The ninja's eyes went wide, her attention at once returned to him in full. "Corrine?"

"Yeah," he confirmed shortly, leaning heavily against the wall. "You promised me that evening, when we talked about him. You said that from then on, if one of us needed to talk to someone…"

Her lips formed the word 'oh' soundlessly, fingers pushing a strand of hair behind her ear in what was no doubt embarrassment. No wonder he was acting so stupid and awkward; coming to her for comfort was probably pretty embarrassing. Whatever it was must be serious to make him put aside his typical cockiness…then again, who could ever tell with him?

"I remember, yes," she admitted at long last, shaking her head as she went over to sit on her bed again. "I guess I do owe you. But after this we're even, okay?"

Much as she disliked considering it, she _did _owe him for the time he spent comforting her the evening after Corrine had died. She had been nearly hysterical that time, and it would have been pretty easy for him to exploit her lack of judgment when he'd talked to her alone by the fire. Instead, they had just _talked_. Talked like civilized people would. That was a pretty impressive feat for him, she had to admit.

Everyone had been just as surprised as she was in the morning to find her in a more positive mood, if only by a little bit. The things he'd told her about that night, about his mother in particular, she hadn't ever heard him speak of before…even when they had been a couple. Of course, she had known that her death had always brought him a great deal of guilt, but never the horrible words she had spoken to him. Maybe that was what he needed to talk to her about now; maybe the snow of Flanoir reminded him of that. She wasn't quite sure, but she at least decided she would listen. That was the promise: when one of them needed to talk, it would be no questions asked.

Once again without an invitation, he joined her in sitting on the bed, taking note of her snatching the book off of the covers.

"What's that?" he asked quickly, grabbing it impishly out of her grip before she could conceal it. She failed to retrieve it from him, too, as she caught him reading the back of it with a mischievous look on his face.

"Hey, Zelos! Give that back or the deal's off!" Frantically Sheena attempted again to take it from the thieving Chosen, but he rolled over quickly and managed to keep it away from her even still. She was almost ready to full-on tackle him when he suddenly handed it back, a smile yet remaining.

She scoffed angrily as she took it from him, her face getting red in a combination of irritation and embarrassment. Of anyone, she didn't want _him _to know what she was reading.

"Romance, huh?" he chided her gently, putting his hands behind his head in a comfortable position. "I wouldn't have guessed that, Sheena. Is it _naughty_?"

"_No_!" The summoner had turned even redder, stuffing the book in the drawer of the nightstand. She sat down next to him on the bed, slightly bewildered as to how he had managed to find a way to occupy the same sleeping arrangement as her. "Now, what did you want me to talk with you about? Can we just get it done with?"

"Mm…well, I didn't want to interrupt you if you were reading," he answered, no longer smiling. He put his head on her shoulder, rather boldly in her opinion, and closed his eyes. "I just wanted…you know, human company. You're my favorite hunny, remember?"

"Sure…whatever." She felt herself turning a little red again at his contact, though he neither moved nor even looked at her.

Then, they were quiet for a few moments. Sheena could not much remember the last time that had happened, but some relaxing force of nature made her disinclined to say another word that would question it. Maybe this _was_ a little better than reading about romance in a book…although the girl in there had a charming gentleman to court her rather than a mostly insensitive young man who seemed to focus primarily on everything below her neck. Her life probably wasn't a romance to be written about, unless anyone wanted to hear about the obnoxious loudmouth she was always arguing with.

She tried to push that thought out of her mind. Against all odds, she was actually enjoying human company too. Even though the others were her friends, they knew very little about her, and half of them weren't even from the same world. Much as she didn't like to concede it, Zelos probably knew and understood her better than any of them. He just wasn't very responsible with that knowledge.

He looked up at her in surprise when he felt her petting his hair gently, her eyes closed this time. More so then he had ever seen her, she looked very tired and anxious. It was a strange thing to see on such a young woman, but her face looked pale and exhausted compared to the normal way in which she usually appeared. Still…he figured he had much more to worry about than she did. He had a decision to make within the next few hours…and, foolishly, he was pretty sure he had made that choice by coming in here.

She continued to toy gingerly with his soft curls, a sort of nostalgia in the way she had begun to look out the window now. "Are you sure you're alright? You don't need to talk about anything?"

The Chosen did not respond right away, somewhat distracted by the alluring sensation of her curious hands in his hair. "Nah, I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern, though, cupcake. Much less painful than your punches." He laughed softly at this, even more so when he realized she too was laughing with him.

"Hitting you isn't _that_ fun, Wilder." She tugged at a strand between her fingers, earning a little noise of protest from him. "You just deserve it sometimes. Keeping your hands to yourself would be my suggestion. Maybe taping your mouth shut would be a good idea, too."

In answer, Zelos sported one of his wounded pouts for her, though he did know quite well that he wouldn't get any sympathy from her on this matter. "Then you wouldn't get to hear my lovely voice anymore, now, would you? And I couldn't compliment you, either."

She stared at him blankly, a mixture of disbelief and ill humor in her eyes. "Zelos, 'You have an awesome rack' does not qualify as a compliment. Not even for you."

A few uncomfortable moments passed before he could think of a retort, mostly trying to think back to when he had been _that_ much of an asshat. He chose to conclude that she was exaggerating, rather than believe his masquerade of perverted idiocy had really become second nature to him. That was a sickening thought indeed.

"Alright, alright," he waved her off, not quite sure if he was annoyed with her or with himself at this point. "Next time…it'll be your cute face, okay?"

She smiled in victory, ruffling his hair like one would do to a dog that finally had chosen to obey his master. "You're improving, then. Good boy!"

He rolled his eyes at her teasing, although he did figure that he probably deserved it. More than anything, he was too tired to address his Complaints Department…and, knowing Sheena, she liked to submit to it quite often.

Perhaps what was more enticing than sheer exhaustion, though, was each gentle motion she made, bringing him closer and closer to falling straight into sleep. Her neck was soft where he had nestled himself, and he could feel when she took each breath. Somehow, though, in a way he did not quite understand, sitting next to her this time was not an entirely sexual thing. It felt more like a motherly touch that she administered, and the more she did it, the more he wanted to wrap his arms around her…and yet…

Just a little while longer, he told himself firmly. He'd wait until she nodded off before attending to that final bit of business for the night. His 'accomplice'—if that was what he could be called—would have to wait. No matter what he chose, tomorrow he would be the enemy…and Sheena would probably never even look at him again. He had best enjoy the time with her while she still had some semblance of fondness for him.

"Mmm…Zelos?"

The Chosen jerked slightly when he heard her speak his name, noticing that she had her eyes shut again. "Hm?"

"Do you… really think everything will be okay tomorrow?" She stroked his hair one last time before withdrawing, using her free hand to rub her eyes.

"I'm sure it will, sweetie," he replied with his best impression of confidence. "Don't worry about it. Just…sleep."

She didn't say anything more, but it was then that he recalled a question he had intended to ask her. He took her hand to squeeze gently. "Uh, Sheena…do you remember that lullaby? The one you used to sing…when we were younger?"

When she gave no answer, he guessed that she might have fallen asleep already. Then she began to hum a sweet little tune, just brief enough to give a gist of the melody. "…That one?" she asked sleepily.

He smiled sadly, though she couldn't see him do so. "Yes. That's the one. You can say no if you want, but…would you sing that one for me?"

Unexpectedly, she too showed a small smile on her face. "As long as you don't laugh…"

"Hehe…wouldn't dream of it," he assured her in what was now barely a whisper. "Please, for me?"

"_Good night, sleep tight, no more tears…in the morning, I'll be here." _Her quiet voice sounded sweet and melodic, much more feminine than her normal voice. She continued hesitantly when she didn't hear the expected laughter. "_And when we say goodnight, dry your eyes…because we said goodnight…"_

"And not…goodbye." He finished the verse for her quietly, leaving her a bit surprised that he remembered the words. She let him finish, her face still in a smile. "We said goodnight…and not…goodbye."

He hung on the last word, feeling it in his chest like a knot. Of course, Zelos was neither a skilled singer nor usually one who would dare to sing at all…but this was a little different. He'd heard it sung by her many times before, but tonight, it felt more disturbing than anything. Saying nothing more, he simply leaned into her and exhaled a shaky breath.

Tomorrow, would _they_ be saying goodbye? He winced, not wanting to entertain that possibility. Maybe he would just have to take a chance and go with the weaker side this time. The idea of doing the opposite seemed to sit less well with him the more he thought about it.

He looked over briefly at Sheena, her sleeping face smooth and soft enough to touch. This was probably her fault. No matter what he did to piss her off, no matter what fights they got in, they could never really stay away from each other. Probably, that was what brought him to her room tonight…he just had to know if he was walking the right path.

Sighing in what was probably more frustration than anger, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the room. He would have to make this one last him a while, just in case it was the last one he ever got. "Goodnight, Sheena…"

x x x

Quiet as he could possibly be, the Chosen snuck back to his room to retrieve his sword from amongst his belongings. Although the covert meeting he was to attend was not supposed to be a confrontation, he knew much better than to ever be unarmed. Certainly not around someone who was a known traitor…though what made him any better, he didn't have the energy to consider.

He slipped down the stairs and out toward the lobby in a ghostly silent fashion, his senses sharpened through his angelic endowment. It was a lot easier to be sneaky in the dark when one could see sharply, or else end up tripping on something in an oafish fashion. Espionage definitely wasn't an easy business.

Flanoir's streets were empty when he emerged onto them, though this could be expected regardless of the time of day. Even the longtime residents didn't seem to ever linger in the cold. That was the curious thing about cold, Zelos mused to himself. While the heat could be enjoyable, like a warm fire or a cozy blanket, the cold was _always_ inhospitable.

A movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to jump, drawing the blade from his side instinctively. From a narrow alleyway came a black form, small and snow-dappled. The green eyes of a midnight colored cat looked up at him uninterestedly before it darted to an adjacent hiding place, its tail disappearing around the corner after it.

"Oh, that's a good sign," the Chosen muttered under his breath, trying to remember if the animal had had any other colors or markings on it. But he'd come too far now to really let superstition shake his resolve; besides, he had done a good enough job psyching himself out over this whole Cruxis business without adding to that any further.

He picked up his pace and turned right onto a small street near the hospital, the very same one where the group had brought Altessa only a few hours prior. He looked around warily before dipping under an overhang, shaking the white powder out of his long hair with a faint disgust.

"I appreciate your punctuality, Chosen One," a voice smirked from a few feet away, causing the redhead in question to jump almost a foot in the air. "You've had enough time to consider my proposal, I trust?"

An older man stepped forward from where he had been leaning against the stone wall of a building, a look that was neither kind nor hostile on his face. This was only one of the many reasons why Zelos had taken an instant disliking to Lloyd's father. Kratos was perpetually impossible to read, and thus he usually made one feel like a haughty child being spoken to by a far more knowledgeable adult.

Even with his usually sharp hearing, he had managed to be snuck up on by this condescending jackass. He took his hand off of the hilt of his sword hesitantly, realizing it was too late to try to play it off like he hadn't just been caught off guard. "Yeah, I've thought about it—"

"So you've come to a decision then?" the Cruxis agent interjected in a very business-like tone, disregarding the young Chosen's obvious irritation. "I cannot afford to have you uncertain on this matter. If you will not carry it out, then I will do so myself."

"Hey, I never said I'd picked either way, pal," he returned sharply, eyes narrowed.

"I've lived a great many more years than you," Kratos began, still calm as he always was. "It is not hard to detect indecision. You don't feel comfortable siding with Lloyd and his allies when they are only a few against a far greater force. And Mithos has promised you your freedom from Chosenhood, has he not?"

Zelos thought back to when he had spoken briefly to Tiga, Mizuho's regent chief. He had been asked what side he would choose, between the force of the Church and those against it. And he was right, then. He would have been lying if he had said that he would choose the side of preserving both worlds…his instincts told him to side with the strongest.

"That's easy for you to say so matter-of-factly, isn't it?" he spat back, not even wanting to look at the other man's falsely understanding expression. "For the past however many years, you and the whole lot of Cruxis has controlled my ancestors like your own personal ant farm. And for what? So that bastard can revive his long-dead sister?"

He paused, regaining his composure. "To be free from that title of 'Chosen'…each and every one of us with that burden has wanted _nothing _more. So what can you offer me that's better than that? What do _I_ get for running your little errand?"

Neither spoke for a few moments, the silent air hanging heavy between them. Kratos's expression was unchanged when he did begin again. "You find it that easy to betray your companions, do you? You are selfish enough to serve yourself before the greater good?"

The Chosen raised his eyebrows in surprise; the question was almost laughable for him. "So what? I've acted like everyone's fool for most of my life, because that's the _Chosenlike_ thing to do. I work for myself from now on."

"Hm, you do as you will." Kratos shook his head, his wings emerging from his back in preparation to leave. "I cannot decide for you if you care enough about your friends to risk your own satisfaction for them. But there is one thing you should know before you decide: Once you bring your sword down upon a loved one…you will _never _forget how that feels. Not even if you live a thousand years."

Immediately, his mind went back to Sheena's sleeping face; her long, graceful fingers combing through his hair and her lilting lullaby that he had held so dearly in his memory for many a year. He whispered her name under his breath, forgetting for a moment that he was in the presence of a fellow angel.

"A woman, of course," the seraph mumbled in answer, smiling slightly. "Yes, I think that would be the one thing more important to a man than himself…and that is why I advise you take my warning with the utmost seriousness. Your companion Mr. Bryant, I'm sure, can tell you just the same. But in the end…the choice is always yours." He said no more, brushing past the Chosen to head toward the main street.

"Wait."

Zelos had started after him, his hand brushing nervously over the crystal on his chest. His eyes were still on the ground where the snow lay. In his mind, he could see the color red, and this time…not with his mother's blood. _Sheena…_

He looked across the snow at the older angel, just managing to find one of his trademark confident smiles.

"…Leave the Aionis to me."

* * *

**A/N: **Alright, there completes the first month of our Sheelos year! Hope you enjoyed, that is my first time really writing Kratos. But I think he's not too hard to write, frankly. And yes, I DID use Flanoir, shoot me. I have always been curious as to how Kratos convinced him over to their side, though, and I haven't seen it written in any Sheelos that I've read, so hell, I took a shot at it. Like Zelos, I'm not taking any complaints at my Complaints Department right now. ;p

R&R, please! And love to you all in this lovely 2009 year.

-FP


	2. February

**February**

x x x

"_Ow!_"

Sheena examined her finger ruefully where the needle had bit into her flesh, bringing it at once to her lips to relieve the pain. The young summoner-in-training looked down in frustration at the little rectangle of fabric, a beautiful royal blue piece of silk that had cost her a week's worth of pocket money to buy. Her eyes focused intently on the curving golden letter that she was currently at work embroidering into the corner.

Unintentionally, she scowled a bit. It was hard to believe she had to have it finished by tonight! Maybe procrastinating wasn't one of her most resplendent qualities after all…although, she had contemplated for weeks in advance what kind of gift she was supposed to get the most powerful and well-known person in the world. And for such a gaudy occasion at that.

However, although she was only a girl of a modest fourteen, her ability to be resourceful surpassed her age by quite a bit. Even if her Chosen friend had or could have pretty much anything money could buy, she certainly could still produce for him something that money _couldn't _buy. That was her winning lottery ticket right there. 'Make something from the heart', as they usually called a gift that was, well…cheap and crudely handmade.

So she had thought back. What was it that she knew made him smile? Usually whenever one of them sought the other out for company, some smiles could be assured, but she couldn't exactly give him _herself_ as a gift. Sheena felt her face grow warm at this, envisioning herself with a bright red ribbon around her neck.

But, silly thoughts aside, she had perceived one specific thing that brought a very subtle aura of happiness out of her longtime best friend. Ever since he had first introduced himself to her, she had always, unfailingly, addressed him by name. No 'Chosen One.' Not from her. Whether that was disrespectful or not, she had not bothered to consider, but she did notice the surprised looks people gave her when they saw a common, strange-looking girl doing such a thing.

Maybe she would have even stopped altogether, if not for one simple little thing: his eyes communicated to her the utmost gratitude in answer. To him, she sensed, the gesture meant that they were friends for a reason other than that loathsome title. It meant that she didn't care _who _he was or what that implied to their friendship.

Simply put, it was a grain of normalcy in the life of someone who hardly knew the meaning of the word. She hoped this little trinket would be a nice reminder of the special bond that they had forged. Perhaps, perhaps…

Her dark colored eyes shifted to the clock on the wall of her little room, a chamber in the wing of the laboratory that the researchers resided in. It was nearly a quarter past eleven, much too late for her to be active when her work always woke her so early in the morning. Luckily, she knew the task would only take another half hour at the most. Every Mizuho girl was taught to sew, and she was no exception, but her lack of practice had caused the night to drag on longer than she had anticipated.

She continued to poke the needle back and forth through the fabric, feeling embarrassment welling up inside of her all of the while. Over the past year she had spent here, it had become more and more apparent how different culture in Meltokio was from her own. Case in point, this whole stupid holiday. Such a thing would have _never _existed in Mizuho. A holiday where people spent money frivolously and put an enormous amount of time and effort into looking better than everyone else…she didn't understand it much herself, either. How was that connected to love, of all things?

Carefully, Sheena stitched up the back of her handiwork, disregarding the messiness. She would be stitching another side to it anyway, thus beginning the long process of binding the two pieces together to form a whole. It looked a bit pathetic, now that she thought about it, and she felt herself wince a bit at the idea.

_But_, she reminded herself, it was just an offering of friendship. Even if the day was for 'love', love meant friendship, too. That didn't mean it would be any _easier_ to give a boy a gift…

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.

But if you never try, you'll never know. Her grandfather had told her that many times when things seemed too difficult or scary to attempt. For the most part, it was true. After all, even when she made a mistake, sometimes the best things came as a result of what seemed like a complete failure. Corrine, for example, had turned out to be a much different companion than she had expected a summon to be. That had been for the best, Sheena thought fondly, recalling many carefree times he had spent close to her side.

Well, in the end, she would just have to give it a try. She had only one real friend in the whole lonely city, and if this was how people around here showed that they cared for someone else, then a gift was exactly the right thing to express her feelings with.

…Even if she didn't quite know what those feelings _were_.

x x x

Nearly two years ago, when the dark-haired ninja had first arrived in the capital as a trainee summoner, it had been approximately the same time of the year. The trees were skeletal with the memory of green leaves far behind them, and snow wasn't uncommon most of the time. Sheena hadn't known what Valentine's Day was at all, back then. She had asked one of the researchers that she worked with, having overheard the phrase being thrown around by a group of older girls.

The woman she had chosen to ask, a young half-elf with short, light blue hair and kind eyes, smiled at the question. Valentine's Day, she explained, was a time in which one could show that they cared for someone close to them, sometimes through a card, or a gift, or even just a few words. Usually there were many dinners and parties held by the upper society of the city, although it would be hard to walk through even the most destitute of neighborhoods that day without seeing couples holding hands or sitting together.

According to the story she was told, Sheena managed to gather that no one really knew when the tradition had started, or who 'Valentine' even was. Some of the other researchers, having lived longer lives than any human, recalled a legend that Valentine had been a great and powerful king of the ancient world, who held a ceremony each year for the young courtly men to select a proper lady to romance. A few claimed a different tale, saying that the person in question had supposedly been a disciple of Martel, whose benevolent services to the poor had earned him a holiday that had come to be associated with love and friendship.

Either way, it seemed that the day had inadvertently become just another chance to show how rich and powerful one was by throwing enormous, gala parties and collecting an armful of women to show off. Surely, she thought bitterly, this had not been the original intention of the holiday, regardless of its origin.

Presently, Corrine seemed to share her thoughts as he sat perched on the end of her bed, watching her secure her gift into a small paper box. "Sheena, why are you giving _that guy _a present? He's already _rich_." His fox nose wrinkled in disgust, tail thrashing slightly in annoyance.

The girl rolled her eyes as she finished tying a strand of ribbon around the box. The little summon spirit never did quite like the fact that she had a male friend, somewhat understandably. As her companion, he was naturally protective of her, sometimes to the point of being a bother.

"Ugh, we've gone through this already," she sighed, shooting a glare in the direction of the golden-colored spirit. "Zelos is my friend, whether you like it or not. Obviously, not," she added, laughing quietly. "But he's always been nice to me, nicer than a lot of people have. And—" She paused, thinking for a moment. "It's not about the gift itself; it's about taking the time to think of someone else."

"Psh." Corrine shook his head, not looking at her any more. "You just have a crush on him, that's what."

Her eyes stared daggers into her friend, a vague tinge of red on her face. "_W-what! _I do not!" Mercilessly, the heat only seemed to turn up on her complexion as she said this. "We're friends! And, that's _all_," she finished angrily, turning her back.

Sheena could sense the fox smirking at her outburst, but she ignored him. He was probably just in a confrontational mood because of the tests run on him today. It wasn't that hard to sympathize with him, but he had made a pretty personal shot at her just now.

"Look, I have to go meet up with him now, okay? I promised to be at our spot today, seven o'clock. Just stay here and don't cause any trouble."

Gathering her robes tightly around her against the cold, she walked briskly out of her chamber, leaving her canine friend to nap. The researcher at the front desk bid her goodbye for the day, his eyes looking a bit sad. Half-elves were not supposed to leave the laboratory. She said a soft farewell back, feeling somewhat guilty as always of her own freedom.

The intended place of meeting was a small urban park that branched off near divide between the city's main plaza and the 'higher income' section, as some called it. Sheena preferred to think of it as being just a bunch of spoiled twits living on huge estates, most of whom had never worked a day in their life. Fortunately, the location she was headed to was reasonably private and had an abundance of old, tired-looking trees, thus the reason they had chosen this as their resident hangout. Meltokio was, of course, extremely skeptical about relations between classes.

Weaving through a small flow of whimsical-looking couples, the young ninja went to take off onto the footpath that led to her destination, only to notice something odd in the distance. Her friend's house, er…what had that word been that people called it? Yes, a _mansion_. A crowd of people—women, rather—had gathered all around the door of it, talking and tittering loudly. She frowned; as if it were a question as to what they were doing here on this particular day!

Unusually bold, the ninja ventured in that direction. At an ordinary time, her presence would have been more noticeable, but no one was even looking her way. Clearly this was a chance they all wanted in on; although, unsurprisingly, Sheena was almost certain that they had never seen Zelos Wilder when on the verge of tears, or with his hair soaked from the rain, or...any of the sort of things only a good friend would witness. They wanted him on his _'good days'_.

A bit jostled by the crowd, she ended up bumping into one of the girls in the long queue. She was a strawberry blonde, adorned all in pink and red, who might have been fairly good-looking without the ugly glare she shot toward the offender.

"Excuse _you_," she snapped, quite predictably given her appearance. The woman gave her a quick up-and-down look over, her eyebrows rising slightly in surprise. "Um…are you the Chosen One's new maid or something?"

Sheena gazed flatly at the question, half-wondering if it was an actual insult, but knowing also that this girl probably really _was_ that dense. "No…" she replied quickly, trying in vain to get a look over the top of the mob. "But is he around? I—"

"Yeah, right," the blonde rudely interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I've been waiting for an hour to give him _my_ gift, so I wouldn't count on, _well_…" She paused, her expression vapidly conceited. "Someone like _you_ getting to the front any time this year."

The summoner did not allow her another word. She turned to go without a second look, feeling hot tears in her eyes. It wasn't because the girl had been so shamelessly mean, or even because she insulted her…she was just through with trying to be a good friend to the world's most impossible person. They were a world apart. But he had been so damn persistent in trying to talk to her, trying to meet with her any chance he got—

Oh, it didn't matter now anyway. She strode quietly down the path, following it back to the park she had originally meant to go. Well-rehearsed in the scenery, she slipped behind a smattering of leafless trees to the decorative fountain that was her favorite spot in town. It was weathered and unattractive by all accounts, but it was a private location and had a ledge around it that she could sit on and think. Seeking a bit of comfort, she called Corrine to her side.

He appeared in a puff of white smoke, shaking himself off from having been asleep. "Hm? Sheena? You need something?"

She shook her head, quickly wiping the tears from her face. More than anything, she didn't want to be given the old 'I told you so.' There would be time enough for that.

Much to her displeasure, Corrine had noticed already. He didn't give her the expected lecture, though, so she considered that a victory on her part. Instead, the golden fox jumped into her lap, nuzzling her hand gingerly.

"Don't take it so personally. You guys have been friends for a long time, you know this always happens. But," he paused, bearing his little set of pointy teeth, "I'm still going to bite him next time he comes around!"

She laughed softly at this, not doubting that he would do as he said. After a few moments she grew tired of sitting and lay down on the ledge. Her friend cuddled up next to her, nudging her hand for more petting. She had gotten the idea in her head to enjoy the quiet for a while, clear her head, and maybe watch the sun go down…

It wasn't until she was being shaken awake that she realized that she'd nodded off. Like most spontaneous moments of sleep, it didn't feel like any time had passed, but the sun only gave off a few streaks of light now. In addition, clear blue eyes were gently laughing at her, as this particular pair often did.

"Well, I was hoping I wasn't _that _horribly late, but…" Tethe'alla's Chosen of Mana smirked characteristically at his friend, flopping down next to her in a doglike manner. "I guess 'seven o'clock' wasn't a very good estimate this time…"

"I…I guess not." Sheena brushed the hair out of her eyes sleepily, making a point of avoiding his eyes. "But you had your hands full, right?" she added, a touch of venom creeping into her voice.

"Yeah, well…my PR department isn't all that great. I get to handle all of the 'fans' personally. Lucky me." He rolled his eyes, gesturing dismissively. "I have enough chocolate now to make an entire country diabetic. Aren't they just _so_ creative?"

Unable to keep an angry face, she giggled a bit at this. Zelos had always been a fast talker when it came to sarcasm. She liked that about him, and probably always would.

When her eyes finally came up to look at his, he faltered a bit. She noticed he had been in the process of scratching his head nervously, but withdrew at once. Sometimes he was just too cute for his own good, making for a nice balance to the times when she wanted to simply strangle him for all of his stupid idiosyncrasies…

"Ah, but, I did want to um…give you something, hm? I'd be an ass to not give my friend a gift when it's a holiday and all." The Chosen fished a small box out of his coat, reminding her at once of her own gift. She quickly withdrew it from her own robe and held it up proudly.

"See, I indulged in the spirit of Valentine's Day too," she smiled triumphantly, waving the box in front of his face. Corrine chose the moment to stir awake, a growl escaping him at the sight of the redhead.

"Oh, bite him later, Corrine," the ninja told him roughly, giving a gentle pull to one of the fox's tails. "_After_ he's given me a gift, for instance."

Zelos laughed a bit uncertainly at this, but pushed his present into her hands with none the less firmness. She smiled up at him before turning her eyes down to open up the box. He felt himself tense up.

Upon seeing the contents of the small container, she nearly fell off of her seat. A pretty silver locket reflected back at her, a smooth heart-shaped work of art. She could hardly envision it as being her own, let alone that he had bought her such a stunning gift.

"Mm, do you like it?" he quickly asked, and with the utmost seriousness too. Sheena wondered under what circumstances she would possibly _not _like it. "It looked like something you would like, I figured…want me to put it on for you?"

She nodded wordlessly, answering both his questions at once. A great red blush crossed her face when she felt him touching her, something that tended to happen quite a lot. She was vaguely aware of the words 'thank you' coming from her lips.

"Hey, I still haven't given you yours yet," she mumbled quietly, hoping to divert him before he noticed her red face. In an almost frantic motion, she handed her meager gift over.

She bit her lip as she watched him untie the ribbon, reverently taking the small blue cloth out of the box. "It's a handkerchief, y'know…" she explained unnecessarily, "I um…sewed it, that's why it looks, well…like it does."

The Chosen looked in awe at the meticulously sewn 'Z', a beautiful cursive letter that made something inside of him burst. It was without a doubt the most personal thing he'd ever been given; not the generic, pre-packaged garbage people kept giving him time and time again.

"Sheena…I didn't know you could sew," he teased softly, not wanting to let her see him there gaping like a moron. "You're so multitalented, you know?"

"Idiot…" she muttered in reply, giving her friend a gentle shove. It wasn't anything she expected, of course, when he pulled her into a hug.

She was stiff against him, at first, completely caught off guard. Only a few seconds passed, however, before she had her arms around him too. After all, she thought, they were friends…somehow. 'Friends' had a strange definition for the two of them, but it existed nonetheless.

When they broke apart, she finally got a good look at his eyes for the first time that night. He looked, all at once, nervous, happy, and completely enamored. She tilted her head a bit, wondering what that expression meant. It was so like him to give her those weird, long gazes, she remembered thinking, and then—

He _kissed_ her, of all things.

Her mind went into shock. She felt their lips move uncertainly, experimentally, without her quite realizing what she was doing. Somehow, his kiss was distinctly apprehensive, but the fashion in which he held her close to him said so many clumsy words of desire. She couldn't describe what it was like to be the object of that desire, but she was aware at once, sharply, that she had been ignoring it for the longest time.

Their eyes met awkwardly afterward, a matching shade of pink flushing both of their faces. He couldn't quite believe he had actually _done_ that, after having missed the opportunity more times than he could count. That had been his first, he thought in embarrassment, and if he had failed miserably, it would probably just make her think he was even more of an idiot. For a moment, he was absolutely certain that she was going to deliver a painful smack, but…

Sheena Fujibayashi, no longer so oblivious to his affections, leaned her head against his chest. And, best of all…she was smiling.

* * *

**A/N: **Pre-game , I am so damn cuddly. You know you love it. Er...um, and I hope to post again soon! Once I get an idea -cough-. Heehee. ;p As usual, I'm lazy and don't always proofread well, so if there's typos, I'll catch them once I go through this again.

_**Review please, if you have read and liked!**_ I appreciate faves, of course, but a quick comment is very rewarding and helps me know that you likee! And thanks for reading, my dear friends, as always!

-FP


	3. March

**March**

x x x

For what had to be the millionth time, the Chosen repositioned himself on the uncomfortable bed roll. It _had _to be past midnight now, and he was making absolutely no progress falling asleep. Spoiled as he was, sleeping on the ground had not gotten easier no matter how long he spent doing it. Maybe it would be slightly more bearable with certain company…a curvaceous ninja came to mind.

And then they'd honeymoon on hell's frozen lake, riding sleds pulled by flying pigs. He sighed into his pillow.

On the other side of the small room, one of his companions shifted loudly. Ah, the joys of being stuck in a tiny country house. After the group had made a stop at Lloyd's residence in order to forge the ring of the pact, they had decided to stay the night and head out early the next morning. Rather predictably, the ladies (meaning in this case the professor and the lovely young banshee) had claimed the spacious spare room downstairs as theirs.

And so the four unfortunate males were stuck in Lloyd's room. If Iselia, Lloyd's former hometown, had not been ready to kill the poor boy on sight, they would have had their own warm beds and no noisy company. They hadn't been that lucky, as it was.

Right on cue, Regal audibly rolled over in his sleep a few feet away, causing Zelos to wince in contained irritation. The redhead would have expected a lofty duke to be a bit more accustomed to comfortable quarters; then again, prison dungeons likely weren't a five-star hotel either.

With an apparent lack of stealth, Lloyd slipped into the room. He hadn't yet come to turn in for the day, but that wasn't exactly a surprise. He usually chatted with Genis or Colette before calling it a night. In this case, being that the half-elf was already fast asleep, he was betting on the latter.

Seeing the wide-awake Chosen, the younger boy's eyes widened slightly. "Er, sorry Zelos. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Nah, I was already awake. Not a problem." He shook his head, feeling out of sorts. Talking to the others after the recent betrayal was painful at times, especially when they still seemed to regard him with respect.

He didn't deserve it. Not even a little.

The minute this came to mind, he deflected it. There was one easy way to do that. "So, you putting the moves on Colette again? You make sure to tell me if you need help," he added with a generic sly smile, slipping into his persona with the ease of an actor. Guilt of a prior deceit was, he hoped, easily fixable with yet another deceit.

Lloyd blinked. "We were talking about after the worlds were reunited, actually. Colette's going to come with me to collect the remaining exspheres, so we can destroy them for good."

"Exspheres, hm? Good luck tracking those all down." Zelos rolled his eyes, unconsciously touching the crystal on his neck. "There's got to be millions of them in Sylvarant alone, with the ranches and all."

Solemn on the subject, the dual-wielding swordsman nodded in understanding. "I know. But I've got great friends to help me. If it wasn't for all of you, Colette might be dead, and the Chosen system would have killed a whole lot more people too."

The word made him tense slightly. That was right; he had breached the deal he made with Mithos. He was still a Chosen, and might remain one if this suicide mission didn't succeed. He tried to sound unfazed when he replied.

"Yep, our little Colette's come a long way for a Chosen of Regeneration. She might be the first in thousands of years to live through the unsealing process. That's a one in a million chance, right there," he finished somewhat sadly, not looking at Lloyd, who had busied himself with preparing his bed. It looked even less comfortable than the ground, which was _really_ saying something.

"Well, I couldn't let her die or anything," the boy answered simply. "She's my friend. She's been my friend as long as I could remember."

Smiling mischieviously, the Chosen chuckled softly. "Lloyd, you're hopeless."

"…Huh? What do you mean?"

An expected response. Zelos laughed a bit more at the other's clear lack of appreciation for the obvious. "You follow that girl around like a lost puppy."

The redhead shut his mouth immediately after those words left his lips, the irony of the statement not lost on him. Who better to call the kettle black than the pot itself?

Still remaining unaffected, Lloyd simply shrugged. "Whatever you say, Zelos. But I think Sheena would probably say something like that about you too, y'know."

Touché. He wasn't quite expecting Lloyd to catch on to his hypocrisy as quickly as he had himself. Of course, he didn't let that show in his face. "Hm, maybe. But she's hot for you, bud, not me, in case you haven't noticed."

"Uh…well," the swordsman began, looking very clearly uncomfortable with the notion. "Sheena's nice, but I think we're just friends."

Frustration flared in the older of the two friends, somewhat regretful that he had brought the subject up to begin with. "You can't get the hint, can you? She's obviously into _you_, and she's insanely hot to top it all off. The girl's got an _amazing_ body, that's for damn sure. What's not to love?"

There was no response. Instead, a terse knock interrupted them. Lloyd stepped carefully over the sleeping body of Genis to reach the door, opening it on a dark-haired summoner with her anger very thinly concealed.

"We need an extra blanket for Presea, if you don't mind," she informed the surprised teenager, who did seem to have an unfortunate habit of getting caught between her and the Chosen's complete lack of discretion. The hot springs came to mind.

He scratched his head. "Um…no problem. One second, I'll get it from my closet."

The death glare that Sheena fixed upon the real culprit of her wrath was genuinely frightening. Zelos was _not _good at looking her in the eyes when this sort of thing happened. The puppy had torn up the flowerbeds one too many times. If only he could go hide in his doghouse now, he thought, mentally kicking himself and his loud mouth.

No, he could see that she wasn't just angry. He was too smart to be able to miss that. She was definitely hurt, and much more than usual given her inability to conceal it well. Their eyes only met for a fraction of a second, but it was clear in an instant that she had lost any shred of trust in him.

Lloyd gave her what she had come for, and with just a brief nod of thanks, she disappeared again. Neither of the two embarrassed males said anything afterward; like usual, Zelos had successfully said the wrong thing in the wrong place and at the wrong time. All in a day's work, really.

But when the Chosen laid his head down to finally sleep, he felt a persistent, unsettling sensation buried in his chest. The silent pain in her soft brown eyes had been unmistakable, no doubt about it. It was sharp, a desperate hatred for the constant teasing and belittling. She was _not_ going to forgive him very easily, if at all. Definitely not after his recent violations of her trust.

It made him recall, with a sickening stab in his stomach, the way that he was so numbingly unable to meet her broken-hearted gaze when he led Colette away in the Tower of Salvation. That look that was her way of saying that he had failed her, as he had many times before.

He missed feeling her meet his ocean-colored eyes with warmth, something that had at one time been frequent. Lost now, it seemed, but remembered with such clarity. Without a doubt, love had been most distinct in her eyes during that final evening together in Tethe'alla, only sheer hours before she left into the unknown world.

At the thought, his mind raced with images of her still form in that late hour of the night, the enthralling curves of her voluptuous body draped in the cover of a streetlight. The two having carefully selected a place of meeting, there was no one to witness the momentous ferocity of a young couple in love being swiftly parted.

As could be expected, Sheena had been acting unusually that night; her brown gaze would not touch his…a fact he now was familiar with. Instead she stood motionless in his arms, almost defeated, before leaning up to press an uncertain farewell kiss to his wordless lips. In that instant he had held her tightly, bringing a hand to her face to return the gesture with a fervent passion, their slow movements savoring what they knew would probably be the last one in a long while. Her body relaxed slightly from its state of nervousness, pressing closer when his hands roamed down her sides to grip her waist.

The world was fast asleep at that hour, but after the few strained words of parting they shared, the Chosen returned home with no peace of mind. Even as he walked away from her that night, he could still feel the heat of her body against him, the scent of her skin lingering in his senses. It was powerful and intoxicating, like always.

A slight shiver ran down his spine at the thought of her warm lips on his neck, well aware of the way that stroking her hips through the soft fabric of her robes made him lose himself in desire. All of the bonds between them were stolen from him with such stunning momentum, it seemed. Just until recently, after all, he had been keeping himself busy in the business of playing an agent to several causes. He had made that decision knowing only that he would not let himself become a tool for the forces at work.

And then there was the act, the perverted idiot that no one would ever suspect to be clever. Executed to perfection, even still.

He did have to admit, though, that losing her had not been part of that plan. His attitude was very obviously unexpected and offensive to her, as it had been intended, but her pain was not exclusive either. He watched her gaze dreamily at Lloyd, and his heart sank lower with each smile she gave the young swordsman. The gravity Zelos remembered sharing with her had turned into a lopsided orbit, the two of them never quite meeting eye to eye. It did not take very much intuition to know that they had become skilled at hurting each other in this way.

His mind began to fall into sleep with these thoughts, quickly becoming much too exhausted to feel the sting of so many harsh truths. Maybe he was doomed to never have her trust in him restored, and maybe that was what he deserved…

But perhaps, with a little luck, he might prove to her otherwise.

x x x

It was no surprise to him, however, that luck was not on his side that next morning. As he had anticipated, the curvaceous ninja refused to speak to him then at breakfast. Per his usual response to the rejection, Zelos had to force himself not to shoot apologetic gazes at her throughout the entire meal.

Lloyd had cheerfully insisted that Genis make pancakes for everyone, which went over well with about half of the party. Raine was irritable from a bad night of sleep and did not join them. She instead insisted in a grumble that she would get her healing supplies packed before they left for Derris-Kharlan. With all of the Sylvarantians banished from Iselia, the professor had gruffly asked Regal to take Presea with him and pick up some apple gels and other supplies they were sure to need.

Breakfast went by painfully, but the unfortunate Chosen managed to survive it. He had turned down the offer of food, himself. Across the table, Lloyd shoveled his third helping into his mouth while Colette watched him with a fond smile. Genis rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed.

Most interesting to him, however, was Sheena's unwillingness to eat as well. She looked deep in thought, her rich coffee eyes staring into the wood pattern of the table. His breath caught in his throat when she peered in his direction just once. An empty glance laced with a lack of recognition, like two strangers catching each other's gaze on a lonely sidewalk.

Once Lloyd had said farewell to Dirk and his weary father Kratos, the group made the walk to the Rheairds waiting in a nearby field. The sun was only just peeking over the horizon, bathing the world in a red-orange glow. The air between everyone had grown grim with the thought of the obstacles ahead.

Without a word, Lloyd helped Colette onto their Rheaird, and the others soon followed suit. Genis offered the same gesture to Presea, who seemed confused but did not refuse. The ill-tempered professor claimed one for herself, which Regal bravely shared with her.

The ninja quickly found herself to be the only one still standing. She looked from pair to pair, trying in vain to figure out how she had been forced into this lovely catch-22. Alone on the final Rheaird, Zelos stared at her flatly. He had to wonder at the fact that she would rather walk to the Tower of Salvation than be anywhere near him. Even though she did at last settle herself behind him, it was with obvious distaste.

Time seemed to be stationary as they sped over the landscape, the checkered terrain almost motionless below. The red-haired Chosen almost jumped a mile when the woman at his back wrapped her arms around him, leaning sleepily against his body. A nervous peek over his shoulder revealed her to have her eyes shut tightly, face pale and cheeks pink. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had gotten almost no sleep the night before.

That made two of them, then.

In the late afternoon, the group was within an hour's distance of their destination. This was the moment he chose to speak up on the exhausted summoner's behalf, mentioning only that it might be a good idea to land and let the group get a solid meal and a few hours of sleep. Raine, tired herself, was the first to affirm the idea as a good one. Zelos mentally thanked whatever gods may be that she was the one to agree with him; that basically sealed the deal.

They secured a nice site to camp out at with relative ease, a foresty area lush with trees and with plenty of cover from the elements. Everyone dispersed into their usual routine, Genis and Regal discussing what would be the meal of the evening while Lloyd prepared a fire.

"Need help with that?" Sheena's weary voice jerked the boy out of his task, and he quickly looked up in surprise.

"Ah, sure!" He smiled kindly, scratching his head as usual. "Could you maybe get some more firewood?"

She looked over at his meager pile of sticks and nodded. It was with very noticeable relief that she slipped out of the camp, her movements showing a sudden burst of stamina that she clearly did not have the energy to produce. Something wasn't quite right, even bearing in mind the situation.

Frowning, Zelos followed right after her. He couldn't imagine how she thought she was going to hold up against an ambush of monsters with sleep-starved inhibitions. She looked ready to protest when she saw his approach, but did not say a word.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, wandering toward a non-existent destination. He'd known before she did that this walk in the woods was because she wanted some time alone. And, with the utmost certainty, he knew his careless words the night before had pushed her past the point of holding composure any longer. He stopped in his tracks, reaching out to touch her arm.

Almost at once she turned on him, reacting like a time bomb; it had only been a matter of time before he would try to make this whole thing worse. "_What do you want?_"

The Chosen took a few steps forward to stand in front of her, his hands taking hers gently. "This…it needs to stop," he explained in a quiet voice. "I'm not letting…_this_ go on any more."

Unconvinced, Sheena attempted to tug herself away, only to find that his grip simply tightened. Her eyes looked up at his fiercely, tears beginning to roll down her face. His concerned expression turned to frantic regret when he saw the conflict that lay in the brown depths of those eyes.

"No, don't you _dare _start crying over me, Sheena!" he implored her firmly. A short sob escaped her, causing his manner to soften at once. "You…just please listen to me, okay? Just one chance?"

She ripped one hand away from him, wiping her face in a quick motion. "One more chance? Haven't you had enough chances?"

"Yeah…I have. More than I deserve, too." The words came slowly from his lips, pausing to smooth a tear from her face. "But I can't go into that death match tomorrow with you and me so far apart. It's gone on way too long, and this is where it ends."

The ninja's eyebrows came together in indignation. "It's been _your_ fault! All you've done lately is brag about what a hotshot you are, and lie to me and everyone else like it's not even a big deal! You're…_shameless_ about all of it!"

Zelos bit his lip, looking down in embarrassment. "I've been selfish," he mumbled just above audibility. "I know I have. You _have_ to believe me though, hunny…I never meant to cause you so much trouble. _Never_."

"I…don't know what you 'meant' to do, Zelos. I just thought you were a better man than this." She brushed the remaining tears from her eyes, averting her gaze from him. "I guess I was wrong about that." A pause, and she looked directly into his eyes, this time with renewed anger. "I…I should have never even cared for you to begin with!"

Intense rainy blue stared back at her, clouding over with thinning patience. Her words were a twisted déjà vu of his mother's last words; he never wanted to hear anything like that from her.

It was with much self-control that he forced himself not to simply walk away. "…Sweetheart, the only wrong I did you was to change your _perception_. I _deceived_ you, but I never betrayed you."

She glanced up uncertainly. "Wait…what?"

The red-haired Chosen sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. This wasn't getting any easier. "Look…you were right. I'm not who you think I am. I'm just…me. I've said a lot of things I shouldn't have said, and I haven't been the greatest person to you lately…but you're _wrong_ to think I'm a pervert and an idiot and all that. I just…_say _a lot of things. I don't mean to hurt you…"

He bit his lip nervously again, realizing that he had been unable to keep his eyes on her when he said all of that. It hurt his pride quite a bit to admit _that_; after all, he'd been pretending in front of all of Tethe'alla that he was heaven's gift to women everywhere.

Sheena blinked at him in bewilderment, just before her eyes showed a familiar amusement. She _always_ looked at him that way when she caught him in some comical blunder of his. "What are you trying to say? Hm…you mean…you're a _tease_, aren't you?"

A slight red in his face, Zelos kept his eyes firmly off of her. He nodded in awkward affirmation, only enhancing her appreciation of the situation. She leaned in to touch his cheek softly before slipping a slender arm around his neck.

Smiling down at her sheepishly, he accepted her warmly into his arms. The sensation of the young ninja's shapely body against his was exactly like he recalled; and she didn't even get mad at him when he pressed a grateful kiss to her temple.

She was still smiling at him when they parted, her hands smoothing over his chest in an affectionate motion. It definitely was incredible to feel her touch again. A nervous sigh of delight escaped him, and in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to finally take her in his arms and experience what it was like to feel her soft, bare skin against his, their lips locked in passion…

His thoughts became shy once again as he nuzzled her neck, feeling her soft breathing on his neck. That could wait. As it was, he already was the luckiest man alive. He knew who he loved, and even better…

She loved him, too.

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, well my dears, that's that! Hope you liked, I did have fun writing this. And this one goes out to Moonlitinuko, my great Sheelos friend. I know she wanted a sorta dramatic Sheelos one this time if I remember right. But still fluffy! And a little sexy. ;P Also as always, the rest of my awesome Sheelos friends new and old, hope you enjoyed too! Anyone else...you are also free to review! I do love my reviewers!

Best spring wishes to you, and don't forget to review! (I'm a poet!)

-FP


	4. April

**April**

x x x

"Ah…miss? Is everything alright?"

A bedraggled Sheena darted her eyes toward the shop owner in front of her, her hands still feeling around anxiously in her rucksack. "I…I think I'm short a bit. Let me just put something back, I thought I had brought more than this with me—"

Smiling kindly, the old woman looked over the handful of coins. "It's just a small difference now, isn't it? Don't worry about it this time. Just get yourself home. The weather's sounding quite nasty."

As if in agreement, a short growl of thunder spoke up as the girl mumbled a profuse thanks, flinching slightly as the noise startled her. She then paid quickly and gathered up her purchases, slipping out the door in a flash to stand under the shop's awning and stuff the items into her bag. She never remembered a handful of apple gels costing her an arm and a leg before. Indeed, it was times like this that she really missed having Raine around, no matter how poorly they got along. Her magic had undoubtedly been a great relief, especially when supplies were running low. Now she had to always make sure she had a fully stocked arsenal of first aid on her, or risk the consequences.

And, speaking of consequences, she thought with a snort, it now seemed she would be spending a bit longer in Meltokio than she had planned. Of course, the day had seemed wonderful when she arrived…after all, she had just been given the honor of being a diplomat for Tethe'alla, an emissary of peace to forge what would hopefully be a good relationship between the newly reunited worlds. Even her dislike of the pompous city couldn't spoil something exciting such as that, and today she had arrived to accept the position with much enthusiasm. Before she could leave, however, what had begun as just a somewhat cloudy day turned into a light spring shower as she entered the gates of her destination. Only a few hours later, it had intensified into a flash thunderstorm. Not completely unusual, but inconvenient to say the least.

Needless to say, flying the Rheaird back to Mizuho in the midst of lightning was probably a bad idea, no matter how much better she had gotten about that particular fear of hers. She was going to have to stay in town for a few more hours. Not the most welcoming thought in the world, but…there _had _been another situation that needed her attention, and frankly, it would have to be soon. A rambunctious butterfly flapped around in her stomach whenever she thought about _that._ The stack of unanswered letters in her dresser from a certain someone was a shady reminder of her own stubbornness.

Or, perhaps she just wasn't very forgiving.

Well, how could anyone fault her for _that_? She was justified in feeling a bit irritated when the moron had spent the past few months staring at her chest and grabbing at her poor self. He was loud, irritating, and completely full of himself more often than not. She shouldn't be wasting any time on him, not when there were other things to be worrying about.

But the truth was…she missed him. She missed him so very much. And there wasn't a thing in the world that could change that, no matter how hard she had tried.

Leaning her body more fully against the shop's brick wall, Sheena could not help but feel extremely reluctant about their fragile relationship. Yes, he _did _occupy her thoughts quite often these days. What else was new? She had _always_ been smitten by his affection toward her. But that did not change the facts, and she knew quite well that she still had no idea what her feelings for him were anymore. He had crushed her heart with his juvenile mistreatment of her feelings, even more than he realized. Though she now understood the reasons for his behavior towards her as of late, it still had bred in her a certain wariness of the young man she had once trusted.

For a few moments her mind was silent, taking in the tranquil sound of the rain mixed with the sweet smell of wet trees and soil. Even in the city, nature was willing to offer some clarity to those who knew how to find it. Her heart fixated strongly on one thought, a thought that came to her every night when she drifted off to sleep. She _needed_ to see that flirtatious smile of his again. She needed to hear him say her name, or flash that sky-colored gaze mischievously in her direction. A month was too long to spend just daydreaming, especially being that she had left him with no idea of how she felt about him…about _them_.

She pulled up her sleeve in some annoyance, stealing a glance at the delicate watch that adorned her wrist. Even _that_ made her think of him; a gift he had given her a few years ago when she had turned seventeen. He was always thoughtful like that, even when many others were more than happy to turn their back on her.

Quickly, the slightly frustrated woman forged a solution in her head. As it was only a quarter to five, she could, in theory, have the spare time to pay a short visit. Then, if the storm still hadn't blown over, there would be no trouble in staying overnight at the inn. Free lodging services were one of those spiffy perks of being in the employ of the crown, and rightfully so.

Now that the plan was laid out in front of her, she resolved that she would just have to follow through with it, if only to put her troubled mind to rest. He certainly did cause her to spend a lot of time wondering, dreaming, worrying…

Oh, if only Corrine were still with her. What would he have told her to do? She touched at the bell in her pocket fondly, thinking of the little spirit with a lingering sadness. That question couldn't be answered anymore. She would have to figure this one out on her own.

She sighed heavily, massaging her temples in frustration. Nowadays, just _thinking_ of that stupid boy made her feel like she had fireworks inside of her. She loved how it felt when he hugged her tightly, or teased her hair with a playful grin…and she still could not escape the memory of those brilliant golden wings that flooded the darkness like a glowing star, and his gentle kiss to her forehead after rescuing her from that godsforsaken trap hole. Indeed, not the first time he had been fierce about keeping her safe. He watched out for her when she wasn't thinking clearly…even when he knew he'd get no thanks for it.

Zelos Wilder was a loyal friend, to say the very least. A friend she didn't want to ever, e_ver_ lose.

She thought on it all for a moment, brushing a few stray hairs out of her eyes nervously. Then, before she knew it, she was scurrying out into the rain in an all-too-familiar direction. Towards him. Towards that idiot; _her_ idiot. The only one that knew just how to make her heart flutter so frantically, how to disarm her carefully crafted defenses, and sometimes, even how to leave her utterly speechless.

All it took was a wink of those lucid blue eyes, and a teasing little smile in her direction…

x x x

The fiery-headed former Chosen lay curled up comfortably on a fluffy plush loveseat, napping in the soft light of the fireplace. He had a blanket wrapped tight around him in a vaguely cocoon-like manner, hair flipped carelessly into his face like an old sheepdog. After a boring afternoon of attending discussions between Tethe'alla's former church of Martel and Sylvarant's respective religious organization, he had come home with the intent to take a hot shower and promptly fall asleep. Enjoying one of his favorite dreams happened to be a bonus, as was currently the case. Mumbling happily in his sleep, Zelos buried himself deeper into the welcoming warmth of the blankets.

Not too long ago, he couldn't have ever dreamed of feeling so carefree. Now, as he had begun to find out, the little things in life truly were some of the most enjoyable. Drifting off into slumber to the gentle sound of rain…

A sudden sound jerked him awake, wrenching him unwillingly back into consciousness. The doorbell. He groaned in irritation, rolling over and ignoring the noise. After two more rings, however, he pulled himself to his feet and shook his disheveled locks out of his eyes. Visitors had become increasingly less common these days; especially once the shrill, pampered female population had caught on to his rejection of them. The wolfpack didn't come looking for him anymore, in fact. Just as well, though, being that he no longer needed them to keep up appearances. He didn't have any doubts that they would find some fool of a rich, nameless guy to enhance their status with. One they could control, unlike himself.

The walk to the entryway felt like a lifetime, but after once more attempting to un-muss his hair, he pulled the door open on an unexpected sight for sore eyes.

Her soft features in a haphazard smile, the young ninja stood with a hand on her hip and her glossy bangs damp with precipitation. "Did you _crawl _to the door?" she asked sarcastically, though only in friendly teasing. "Took you long enough, keeping a girl waiting…"

Zelos flushed slightly in response, unprepared for her appearance _outside _of his sexy dreams. "Mmm…was sleeping, hunny. I wasn't anticipating a banshee house-call."

Disregarding their typical banter for a moment, Sheena instead had knitted her eyebrows in thought as if something had just occurred to her. "Oh…what happened to Sebastian? He isn't sick, is he?"

"Ah, not exactly." The redhead's face fell a bit at her question. "He's been in Sybak for the week. His brother's a pretty old guy, and he's got pneumonia. Seles used to come down with that a lot…nasty thing to have."

She nibbled at her lip, looking down at her hands. "I—I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry about it too much. There's nothing to be done except hope for the best." Despite his words, the ex-Chosen had a similar expression of sadness. "Well, why don't you come in then, sweetie? Before you end up sick, too."

Sheena nearly jumped a foot when she felt his hand gently take her own, leading her into the warmth of the home. Less than a season ago, she had come to see him almost regularly when business called her into the city…and sometimes, she would take a special visit just to spend some time in his company. And he would always hail her with an excited smile, kissing her face gratefully before their lips found each other. She loved those moments.

The smile on his face was extremely reminiscent of those times as they stood together in the entryway, an awkward tension wafting between them. Relief coursed through her at once when he took her up in his arms in a friendly hug of greeting, her cheek pressed up against his neck in a way that always made her feel safe.

"Did you get any of my letters?" he asked faux-casually as he released her from his embrace, appearing faintly nervous for her response. "I mean—you're probably busy with a lot of things, I'm sure, I just wondered…"

"I…did, yes." The young woman scratched the side of her nose idly, her maple eyes avoiding his in a deliberate way. "I haven't had much time lately though, you're right about that. I was meaning to get back to you but, ah, I figured I'd just drop by in person."

"Oh, sure, yeah…" Zelos glanced uncomfortably at her precarious expression. Of all people, he could catch her in a lie after being with her for all of these years. Not that he entirely blamed her for the strangeness between them; his former status called for a lot of false fronts, and she didn't like a single one of them. Least of all the skirt-chasing Chosen façade.

And even without all of that nonsense, there was still a certain something about their circumstances that made things difficult. He loved her so deeply, the friend and beautiful woman that she was, but she also seemed so distant from him at times. Even still, she was hesitant to trust him, and he was often left confused as to how they should proceed in the feelings they shared. As it was, they had different problems than most couples. Their problems weren't over family or money…they were instead put at odds by their own futures; she as a leader, and he as an important figure in reforming the new world.

"Don't suppose I could get you something to drink, now, could I? Maybe something warm? I have some hot tea still on the stove." He flashed her a courteous grin when she looked up at him, having been politely taking off the light coat she brought with her. She hung it up on the coat rack, along with her small bag, before nodding.

Following him into the luxurious kitchen, she blushed slightly when he pulled out a chair for her to sit on. His kitchen table, large and made of some expensive polished wood, was familiar to her. They had shared dinner together on a great many occasions, though sometimes less frequently when their lives got busy. She had even cooked for him a few times herself…well, with mixed results. At least he was nice enough to pretend to like her not-so-amazing dishes, she thought wryly.

After sliding a cup and saucer in front of her, the former Chosen poured her some sweet-smelling apple tea in a rather inexpert fashion. Having a seat next to her, he watched her sip it with her best impression of dainty, something that didn't fit her very well. He smiled a bit when she wasn't looking; being snobbish never did fit her. One of the many reasons he had fallen for her like a ton of bricks.

"So, you haven't told me why you're in town, Sheena…" He traced the curves of her body with his eyes as he asked this, roaming over the neat pink bow at her waist, the supple swell of her chest, and her dark raven hair against her pale neck. He watched her take another sip of tea, daydreaming yet again about kissing those soft pink lips of hers, and then perhaps sneaking his hands down to her shapely hips. As was fairly typical, her response was almost lost entirely in his little moment of fantasizing.

"Accepting my new job as an emissary of peace," she stated simply, setting her teacup down with a clink. His attention snapped back to her when her brown gaze turned to him suspiciously. "I was a little surprised about the offer, to be honest."

The redhead faltered for a reaction momentarily, unsure how he should appear. "Eh—that's good news then, isn't it? I'm sure the king must owe you something like that, after all you did for Tethe'alla." Mentally, he wanted to smack himself. He continued, grinning despite her skeptical expression. "Congrats, sweetheart. That's right up your alley, I would think."

Sheena returned his smile slyly, leaning her cheek against her hand as he was doing. "Indeed it is."

Neither of them said a word for a moment. The sound of the rain filled the silence with a relaxing tempo, lending the air a surreal feeling of disconnect that the young pair both took a notice to. Agitated by the silence, Zelos laid his head down upon folded arms in a childlike gesture of awkwardness. The young woman beside him took a sip of her tea before making a pass at conversation.

"So, you've been well lately? I'm sure your fanclub is as enthusiastic as ever…" She was looking at her hands once again as she said this, though it wasn't a bitter statement. In her mind, she knew he wasn't serious about the things he said concerning his 'hunnies,' but she did still feel a certain distaste for the unpleasant mob.

"Not particularly," he laughed quietly, answering her second question. "Haven't been bothered by them in quite a while, actually. Not that I expected anything different. I doubt they'd even remember my name, anyway, unless 'Chosen One' precedes it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sheena answered back in an equally soft tone, even though she knew she wasn't the least bit sorry. "I guess you got used to a lot of adoration after I left for Sylvarant, huh?"

"Sort of." His bright blue eyes looked at her with a certain kind of vulnerability. "I mean, of course it's funny to have people act like you're the best thing since sliced bread. But none of it's real; little primadonnas like that are just looking for an arm to latch on to at parties, like some kind of designer handbag to flaunt at their friends. There's nothing to it."

"I figured as much," she snorted, blowing her wandering bangs out of her face. "Most people never did treat you with any actual respect, let alone care about you as a person."

Zelos blinked back at her. "Most people," he echoed in agreement, his expression vague with sadness. He paused, reaching over boldly to touch her face with his hand; she looked surprised in return, like a deer in headlights. "But you never were most people, were you?"

She opened her mouth to say something, something that never formed into an articulate thought. Their eyes were perilously locked, observing each other like an optical illusion. There would have been no telling how long they would have stayed that way had a loud crack of thunder not interrupted the silence.

The former Chosen removed his hand from cupping her cheek, frustrated with the lost opportunity. He resolved to simply extend his hospitality before she got completely uncomfortable and left altogether. "Ah, hunny, I'm just putting this offer out there, but if you're going to be staying in town overnight, you're more than welcome to one of the spare rooms." He gestured casually upward, hoping that she didn't take it the wrong way. "—That is, it's at least more comfortable than the inn. And you get your own personal room service, if you need anything." This time he smiled crookedly and pointed toward himself.

Still staring at him blankly, the ninja's face slowly broke out into a smile. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, shaking her head in exaggerated exasperation. "Zelos Wilder…you're lonely, aren't you?"

His eyes widened slightly at her directness. "Mm—"

Sheena giggled softly, something she almost never did. She was thinking of his countless letters, each one a little more desperate than the last. _'I haven't seen you around town lately, have things been going alright? Don't be a stranger, you can stop by any time you're in Meltokio. I'm always around, you know.'_

"You don't need to b_e _so worried, Zelos," she told him through another quiet snicker. "We're not strangers. In fact…"

She bit her lip nervously, never meeting his eyes as she leaned over and pressed her lips against his. Intentionally, she made sure not to give him time to respond, pulling back from his warm mouth to instead blush furiously as she finished her thought. "I missed you too, you dork…"

An excited, goofy grin overtook his features as he examined her reddened face in delight. _That _was a treat he wanted more of…a treat he _definitely_ missed. She was his girlfriend, after all, even when she refused to speak to him. She was his, and he was hers. And, without a doubt, he wanted a whole lot more kisses to come.

Taking her face in his hands once again, his eyes were radiant with anticipation. She smiled back at him as he leaned forward, whispering into her cheek, "Care to make up for lost time?"

* * *

**A/N: **Lalala, that's the end of this episode! Thank goodness! Maybe I can attempt to catch up on updating now, hm? I hope so. I've got a new laptop on the way so things will be more promising from then on out.

Now I have to wait around a bit longer for Ghost Hunters to be on! Weehoo! *dance* I'll proofread this after, so don't bitch at me! Hehe.

Love ya, and don't forget to REVIEW!

-FP


	5. May

**A/N: **Slighty mature content.

**May**

x x x

Her reflection stared back at her apprehensively from the large mirror, eyes soft amber brown in the lighting of the bathroom. The young woman before her wore a simple lavender nightgown with her dark hair falling past her shoulders in damp waves. She didn't look any different than usual, she thought, nor did she even feel all that different then she had the day before. Only one thing about her had altered, and yet that was certainly enough to cause her to stand there feeling glued to the spot.

She was _married_ now. Sheena, once a shy little girl from a far off village, was now a bride.

Well, maybe she had only been one for a few hours, but her head was still reeling with the thought. She had remembered feeling this same nameless emotion when she had first been named successor of the leadership of Mizuho. It made her dizzy with excitement, and yet at the same time, her body held that similar sick sensation of the floor being pulled out from beneath her.

Was this…how she was supposed to feel?

There were doubts that had crossed her mind lately, doubts that ate away at her already precarious sense of self. Young marriages never lasted, they said. Hell, you don't even belong with him in the first place, they sneered back at her. Even if some of the people in Mizuho accepted her choice, there were just as many who were disgraced by the notion. And here, in the city…she'd be lucky if even a handful approved of her. Most Meltokians scorned her anyway, and with their beloved Chosen One giving her those adoring little puppy-dog looks of his, well, the result was simple arithmetic.

The summoner leaned against the sink heavily, running a brush through her hair a few more times. She couldn't get over the feeling of dread associated with all these new troubles. Maybe she would have been better off pushing him away, just forgetting about trying to make this whole thing work out.

In the mirror, she caught her reflection frowning at the thought as she paused in her preening. Did her uncertainty really make her that cruel? Over in the other room, probably half asleep by now, was a man who had known more tragedy and unhappiness in his life than she could even begin to imagine. Most of that sorrow he had kept buried in some secret part of himself, concealed even from her most of the time.

And here she was, thinking about throwing him to the wolves.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she flipped the light off, proceeding to the adjacent room to settle in for the night. She entered as quietly as possible, closing the door behind her with a soft click. For a moment, she wondered if he'd fallen asleep waiting for her. _No, definitely not tonight,_ she corrected herself, laughing in her own mind.

"Mm, so _there's_ my darling hunny. Didn't fall down the drain then after all, I take it?"

Zelos, unserious as ever, flashed her that enticing smile that never seemed to desert him. She rolled her eyes in good humor as she wiggled into bed beside him, tempted for a moment to deck him in the head with a pillow.

"Idiot…at least you and your 'curiosity toward the unknown' weren't peeking on me in the shower again," she shot back with a smirk of her own, leaning over to poke him on the nose.

He laughed cheerfully in return, and she noticed his clear blue eyes taking on that playfully teasing quality they had always had when the two of them were younger. Then, almost as quickly, his demeanor became far more earnest. "Well, you're not still mad about that, are you? I mean, you're here with me now and all…"

Caught slightly off guard, Sheena raised an eyebrow at him. Sometimes she couldn't keep track of whether he was serious or still hiding behind his flirtatiousness. She was guessing it was a bit of both at the moment, with him so plainly caught up in excitement and a touch of anxiousness. For her it was the same, but mixed with a definite overtone of apprehension.

"Of course I'm not _mad_…you're just always so…what's the word?" She paused, watching his face turn slightly on edge as she deliberated. That turned to confusion as she cuddled up against him, and quickly to sheer delight as she placed a soft kiss on his neck. "…You know how to push my buttons, I guess? It used to get to me, but now I think it's pretty clever of you."

"Heh, well, that's nice to hear. I never did get why you always got so mad about all the little stuff. You just never figured it out, I s'pose…that you needed to lighten up a bit."

"Hm. I guess so." She smiled, running her fingers gently over his bare chest. He was right, she supposed. For the longest time, she hated the way he would play around with her. Even still she felt somewhat justified in how she had reacted; after all, he never let on his true intentions. Such a skilled deceiver he was, she could hardly tell if he was her friend, simply trying to push his luck with her, or if he truly was a philandering pervert who wanted only to use her and her feelings.

The silence absorbed them for a while, their small talk dissolving into their more primal desires. Zelos had put his arms around her as well, breathing in the scent of her hair as she gently nuzzled his neck. They were the best of friends, but without a doubt, there was always more than that lingering just under the surface.

"Um…" She looked up into his eyes, appearing a little dubious. "I know I told you already, but I'm going back to Mizuho tomorrow. I've been here a few weeks after all…you know I left them for as long as I could so we could have this time together. But I think it's only right that I return for a while, just to ensure things are going smoothly as usual."

The former Chosen didn't show any signs of disapproval, but she sensed his disappointment at the reminder. She knew he had business as usual to attend to as well; his frivolous duties as Chosen had been replaced with a wide variety of obligations as a diplomat and a peacekeeper.

"Yup, you told me. But I was pretending you didn't really mean it, honestly," he added, a very real grin taking over his face as she reached up and put her arms around his neck. "It's okay, though. We have tonight…and that should be enough for now."

Sheena reflected his smile, her golden brown eyes brightening along with her expression. He thought perhaps he'd imagined it, but there seemed to be something inexplicably sultry about her face, something that he had seen only a few times before. There was no more mistrust, or hurt, or betrayal. She looked beautiful that way, with her dark hair flowing over her shoulders like that.

Maybe, finally, she was _letting_ him love her. Behind all of the walls she put up to protect herself, there she was, showing him a real smile.

He felt her shiver briefly, freeing one hand from around him to pull up the blankets. "Did you leave the window open or something?" she scolded, once again in her banshee voice. "I'm freezing, it's too far into spring for it to be this cold…"

"Nope, but…" Wearing that obnoxious smirk once again, Zelos let his hands wander down her back. "There're other ways to get warm. Shall I assist you, m'dear?"

"Ugh, Zelos, I was being serious," she scoffed back with a sigh, although he noticed she wasn't protesting either.

Still that same mischievous look, but quickly growing more sincere. "Really, I wasn't kidding about that this time, sweetheart."

Her eyes wandered up to his again, and this time she fell prey to that charming, untouchable grin he was wearing. She really couldn't deny that he was enticing to her without the need of many words, just those convincing blue eyes and the soft wavy curl that ran through his hair. Most of all was that ever-so-slightly sheepish smile, just like when he was younger.

When he caught her smiling back, he took the chance to press his lips to hers in reply. She only paused a moment before returning the kiss, pushing her body closer against his as he continued to encircle her with his embrace. He caressed her face with one hand as they deepened the gesture, warmth traveling between them as she nestled her fingers in his long red locks.

For a few seconds, the whole exchange felt surreal to her, almost as if she were watching it happen through someone else's eyes. They had instinctively begun ridding themselves of their already light amount of clothing, becoming desperate as their kiss grew more intimate.

And right on cue, Zelos forced the moment to its crisis, finding himself unable to both get off her nightgown _and_ continue their kiss. He was half ready to rip it clean off of her until she broke from him for a moment, just long enough for her to have a good laugh at the interruption.

"Oh, look at the great Zelos Wilder _now_," she sputtered through another short laugh, tugging firmly on a loose strand of his hair. "Your virginity is showing. What would your fans think of you, hm? Should I alert the tabloids? Wouldn't _that_ make a great article?"

He glared daggers into her, a very faint red crossing his face. "Yeah, yeah, it's hilarious. You already knew about…_that_ anyway, don't go laughing at me over it now," he shot back, a devious smile still showing through despite his injured pride. "Plus, it's not my fault your wardrobe is uncooperative."

"Hey, don't get all ruffled. You deserve the teasing, you know." The dark haired girl leaned in toward him again, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips before tugging her nightgown up over her head. She blushed a deep shade of crimson when their eyes met afterward, trying to cover herself up with the sheets, but he quickly stopped her.

"Whoa, wait a second." The former Chosen pressed himself against her again, holding her almost-bare form close to his. "You don't have to hide, hunny. You're gorgeous, so don't start getting all embarrassed on me now."

Still blushing, Sheena gradually relaxed her body against him. She couldn't help but let a gasp of surprise escape her when his hands wandered over her naked chest, but it melted into a series of soft, delighted sighs as he tenderly massaged the supple area. Their lips found each other in another warm kiss, his then trailing down her neck and shoulders in a heated blaze of excitement. Her quiet sounds of approval fed his passion, only increasing as he kissed down from the side of her pale throat to her collarbone. Her petite form shivered as he let his tongue briefly brush against her neck, her nails dragging along his back in desire.

They were quick to discard the few remaining bits of clothes, returning their arms around each other to share the warmth of the moment. Time seemed to melt away and vanish altogether, their marriage consummated in a blur of passion and soft whispers of each other's names. Sheena could only sigh in satisfaction from the high she was left with, and looking over at her lover beside her, saw that he seemed to be permanently afflicted with a smile.

"Hey," she nudged him gently, working her way back into his arms. "I…love you." Not entirely to her surprise, Zelos was already practically asleep after what was definitely one of the greatest moments of his life. Hearing those words, he perked up a little, his intense blue eyes full of a simple kind of happiness.

"Don't leave in the morning," he mumbled, nuzzling into her neck as he nodded back off, "without saying goodbye, okay?"

"Ha, of course I won't..." she whispered, breathing in the familiar scent of his hair as she fell asleep. She was too content to care anymore what anyone thought of them. Just the way she felt when she looked upon him, well…that was surely a gift from Verius himself. It wouldn't do to waste that.

Her answer put a carefree smile back on his face, and he kissed her forehead one last time in a sleepy sign of affection. "That's good…'cause I want your face to be the first thing I see when I wake up."

* * *

**A/N**: Whoamygod, writing that made me sweat like a whore in church! XD But that aside, I actually like it. It's sweet, and it doesn't make me pour battery acid into my eye sockets. See, I done it, I made a fluffy intimate piece. It's completely possible. But um...review nicely. I already was awkward about it but I had several of you say I should do it some time, so I did. The end. Now those of you who are kinda inclined to tease me, be nice about this, like I said it was awkward but needed to be done.

Love you guys (I think! XD),

-FP


	6. June

**June**

x x x

Altamira, the island resort bathed in sunlight, had long been a renowned vacationing spot for tourists hailing from every corner of Tethe'alla. Warm sand, pretty women, and plenty of vices to be enjoyed by those who were looking for a thrill. There was even an amusement park for couples unfortunate enough to be saddled with kids during their stay.

Ordinarily, the slightly introverted ninja avoided the place at all costs. It definitely hadn't been her idea to spend the afternoon there; in fact, she would have preferred to set up camp two feet away from the damn place than be forced to endure the gaudy, spoiled people that made up the majority of its visitors.

As it was, Sheena was indeed stuck in Altamira for the remainder of the day. The party was en route to Heimdall in search of more information on helping Lloyd to wield the Eternal Sword, and was only remaining here until the next morning. Initially the plan had been to make a beeline for the elven town, but at the urging of one considerably annoying Chosen, they had decided that a few hours of relaxation after the recent hectic events was well deserved.

But she wasn't having much fun right now. Having assisted a woman in finding her missing children, the group found themselves rewarded with new beach-ready swimsuits (much to the delight of Lloyd and Colette). The awkward summoner got the extremely short end of the stick and now sat by herself under an umbrella in the sand, hoping no one noticed that she looked like a centerfold, albeit a very grudging one.

Out on the shore, Lloyd and Colette were enjoying themselves with a small brown dog they had encountered, splashing and chasing each other around in the foamy waves. Genis had taken on the task of showing Presea how to build a sandcastle, and although the pink-haired girl likely wasn't interested, she was doing her best to humor him. Regal had disappeared, but Sheena supposed he might have gone to spend some time alone at Alicia's grave.

Having completely missed the point of spending a day at the beach, the professor had laid out her towel a few feet away and immediately pulled out a fat book to read. She caught Sheena glancing uncomfortably in her direction and smiled back, shaking her head slightly.

"No one's making you wear that, you know." Raine turned her gaze back to her reading, not noticing the darkening blush on the other woman's face.

"But it was a gift," the ninja protested weakly, folding her arms over her chest. "Turning down a gift is rude. Or at least, that's what I was taught."

"Suit yourself. You just look so mortified, I thought it was worth mentioning." She pushed her reading glasses up on her nose. "At least your biggest fan isn't around. It _is_ nice to have some relaxing silence without all the bickering."

Sheena frowned. It wasn't easy to talk to Raine. Granted, she did try to reach out to the older woman sometimes out of a sense of camaraderie; on some level, she thought that Raine understood the difficulties of being an independent woman. But unlike her, Sheena was rather shy at times, and couldn't manage to be nearly as aloof.

"Well, that particular idiot went to make reservations at the hotel for us." A pause, and the dark-haired girl lowered her voice in annoyance. "Allegedly, that is. Probably went to hang out with those trampy bunny girls."

"Oh, that isn't fair now, is it sweetheart? I was only gone fifteen minutes."

Sheena shot a death glare as said idiot approached, pulling the towel up around her by instinct.

As unfazed by her anger as ever, Zelos continued his needling. "—but I would totally understand if you missed me. It does so pain me to be apart from you, dearest!"

She shook her head, looking down at the ground. She wasn't in the mood for this. Not that she ever was, but especially not now.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the annoying Chosen took note of it. "Aw. Were you sulking, Sheena? That's not really like you..."

"And I'd feel _much_ better if you'd just leave me alone then," she snapped back. "I have a hard time believing you can't find something to keep you occupied here."

Zelos sported one of his saddest little pouts in response. "But…"

"Why don't you _both_ go do something," Raine cut in roughly, glaring at the two over the top of her book. "Something quiet, preferably."

One face lit up, and the other fell.

"Hey, that's a great idea!" The redhead grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet, earning a growl of protest and some resistance. "C'mon hunny, let's go for a walk on the beach. It'll be fun!"

"Ugh, no it won't! Not with you!" Despite her disagreement, Sheena followed along grudgingly, half-led and half-dragged by her friend. She shot Raine a look of pure animosity. _You sold me up the river, you evil harpy!_

The professor just smiled and waved in return, getting back to her book right away. Now she'd finally get some peace, and if those two just quit their stupid little game for a while, maybe they would enjoy themselves too.

x x x

Sheena found herself a bit baffled by the Chosen's unusually upbeat mood as they walked along the shoreline, listening to the sound of the seagulls flying over the waves. He typically had a somewhat feigned sense of cheerfulness about him, she thought, but this mood of his was vastly different. It wasn't as loud, but rather a quiet warmth of happiness exuding from him.

It was bugging her. She just _had_ to know what this was all about.

"So, what's got you so happy?"

Zelos glanced over at her with an expression of vague surprise. "Hm?"

"You look pleased with something," she pointed out gingerly, kicking at a shell on the sand. "It's creeping me out."

He shrugged. "It's a beautiful day, and we're all alive. What's not to be happy about?"

"Hmph. Well, all I know is it's never a good sign when you look that happ—_will you quit doing that!_"

"Wha-aat?" Zelos mewed innocently, giving her a pathetic scolded dog look.

"You know damn well what!" she muttered, folding her arms over her chest again. "_Staring like that!_"

Sighing, he stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "You're so unfair, Sheena. Does that _really_ bug you so much? I'm not touching you…"

"Just give it a rest, idiot. I'm not in the mood to be gawked at, especially when I'm wearing this stupid thing." She paused, wanting to change the subject. "You're not wearing yours, so just shut it."

"Meh. Wasn't in the mood either, dear. Trying to play it a little low profile if you know what I mean." She raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged again. "Plus, I wasn't planning on getting wet anyway, so it doesn't really matter…"

The ninja didn't say anything, just looking out at the ocean in thought. Now that he mentioned it, he _was_ a lot less hungry for attention lately. He'd been different since that debacle at the Tower of Salvation, a lot more quiet and surprisingly serious at times. Weird, to say the least.

But, true to form, Zelos couldn't keep his mouth shut for long.

"Did I disappoint you though, hun?" That awful smirk was back. Sheena cringed visibly. "If you wanted to see all of me, we could go back to the hotel, hm?"

Smack and splash. There was an unfortunate meeting of one very annoying Chosen with the waves. He looked up at the very displeased woman through a curtain of dripping hair, his face absolutely priceless with shock.

"I told you I wasn't in the mood," she stated calmly, a smirk of her own crossing her lips. She turned and kept walking, aware of the now-soaked redhead quickly coming back up next to her. A bigger grin took over her face as she noticed him wringing his hair out irritably.

"Real nice, dear. The salt water's gonna do a number on my hair now," he whined, shaking out slightly like a dog after a bath. "What a banshee temper…"

Sheena waved off his whining, still cheerful from her victory. "You're just lucky I didn't do a number on _you_. Quit propositioning me and maybe I'll be nicer?"

He stuck his tongue out at her childishly, receiving the same gesture in return. She was tempted to shove him into the water again, but he started heading off in the direction of a small rock formation a few yards from the waterline. Reluctantly, she followed after.

"Where're you going _now_?"

Zelos glanced back at her over his shoulder, smiling wryly. "To take off these wet clothes, if that's alright with Your Highness."

She gave him a skeptical glare as he sat down on one of the large rocks. "You're going to…what, get naked right here?"

He rolled his eyes, tugging his wet gloves off. "Oh, definitely. I'm gonna strip right here on the beach and go streaking. What do _you_ think, dear?"

The summoner snorted, taking a seat on one of the rocks next to him. Her eyes wandered over him curiously as he pulled his black undershirt over his head, giving her a nice little view. She wasn't about to admit it, but he had a very appealing figure, lean but decidedly well-built.

As soon as his blue eyes met hers, she looked away, blushing furiously despite her best attempts not to. She expected him to make a comment about it, but he only smiled impishly at her.

"Hey—I've been meaning to show you something, sweetie…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Ugh, it won't scar me for life, will it?" she responded dryly.

Zelos sighed in exasperation. "You'll be pleasantly surprised, I think."

Turning his back to face her, he let his golden wings materialize, waiting happily for her reaction. As expected, her eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"You remember when we were kids? You used to go on about how cool it would be to have wings. And, I said if and when I got 'em, you'd get to see first." He paused for a moment, thinking. "But that was back in the Tower, when I so heroically saved you from certain death."

Her interest quickly took a turn towards irritability.

"Eh, but I thought you'd want a better look. Right?" An innocent smile. Sheena was torn squarely between hating him and loving him at that stupid expression.

With some hesitation, she scooted a bit closer. "Umm…" she trailed off. "Would it hurt if I touched them?"

He smirked, batting his wings playfully. "Dunno. Never tried it." For a brief moment he searched her eyes, his turning from playful to almost modest. "You could, if you want."

She suppressed the warmth rising to her cheeks and reached out ever so delicately, caressing the iridescent surface with fascination. Zelos was right, after all. She was interested in everything about it, how a human could become an angel and fly. And such beautiful wings…

They were soft to the touch, like a bird's feathers, but gave off a warmth that no normal creature possessed. Sheena glanced over into her friend's eyes to make sure she was clear to continue. It seemed to be the case, as he had closed his eyes in contentment.

She continued her examination quietly, running her hands along the soft plumage to where they met with his back. Absently, her fingers brushed over his skin. She felt his sharp intake of breath and backed off, blush returning in full force.

Zelos glanced back at her fondly, for once not seizing on every opportunity to tease her. "Satisfy your curiosity?"

She nodded shortly, folding her hands in her lap. "Mm…uh-huh. Um…thanks, I guess…"

Her face only turned redder when she felt him gently take her hand, and for a moment she was afraid to look up into those soft blue eyes of his. There was no telling what she'd find there.

Slowly, gradually, Sheena brought her eyes up. His eyes were affectionate on her, wistful even. But for once he kept his mouth shut, just smiling gently and giving her hand a little squeeze. They were leaning closer and closer together, noses almost touching, a matching pink shade flowing across his face.

"_Hey! You guys!_ Lloyd wants to take Colette to the amusement park—" Genis was running toward them, waving them over, but quickly noticed the circumstances and halted in place. "Erm…you could just meet up with us later then, I s'pose…"

The pair glanced at the young half-elf before returning their gazes to each other, their embarrassment intensifying as they quickly withdrew. "It's fine, we'll be right there," Sheena spoke up, finding herself more smooth at handling the situation than the Chosen at her side. That was quite an event. "Don't go on without us, okay?"

Smiling, she got up to her feet, watching Genis quickly make his way back to his friends and away from the awkward situation. Zelos eyed the others in irritation, half embarrassed and half annoyed that such a rare moment of peace was interrupted.

"Um. Well. I'm heading back to the hotel to change. And get the smell of salt out of my hair," he added flatly, grabbing at his wet clothes and pulling his wings back in. "You guys could go on without me."

"Hell no!" Sheena put a hand on her hip flippantly. A small smile was still on her face. "As if I'd walk all over in _this_ thing." She motioned to the skimpy suit. "We'll head back together…okay?"

She ignored his expression of disbelief, reaching forward to grab _his_ arm this time. Knowing already that he was defeated, Zelos just let her drag him along, unable to resist letting a grin take over his face. This was definitely turning out to be a much better day than he could've ever hoped for.

* * *

**A/N: **So glad to have an update out! Hope you guys like, I do love and appreciate my readership. If you can, please leave a review, it really helps in getting readers believe it or not. Anyway, happy 4th of July to everyone! Be safe and enjoy the fireworks! ;)

Love much,  
-FP


	7. July

**July**

x x x

The decadent clock tower that loomed over Meltokio struck four o'clock in the afternoon as the young summoner strode out into the castle's courtyard, brown eyes a bit tired and faded. Travelling to the city on foot in the mid-summer heat was exhausting enough to begin with, but accepting a mission to journey to another world and assassinate an innocent girl would be a much greater test of endurance. It would take every ounce of skill and willpower she had to carry out this oh-so-important order of business.

But…that didn't mean she wasn't nervous as hell about it. Because this time, failure would not be an option; the last time she'd messed up, people lost their lives. Sheena Fujibayashi would not make the same mistake twice. She wasn't going to go down in history like that.

Even still, the thought of murdering someone turned her stomach. She was going to have to keep in mind that this was for the good of all of Tethe'alla. Thousands of people were counting on her to prevent their world from falling into decline. Letting them down would be the worst thing she could imagine. In any case, she couldn't wait to get back to her room at the inn and talk to Corrine about this fine mess…

Her train of thought flew off the tracks at the sound of a familiar voice and a flash of red in her periphery. No, absolutely _no way_ was she going to talk to him right now. She didn't want any prying as to what business she had in the city. He'd find out in due time about her little errand in the other world, so she had no intentions of being the one to share the 'good news.' Knowing Zelos, he wouldn't exactly be thrilled about his best friend doing something that risky. Sheena quickened her pace, praying that he wouldn't notice her passing by, and—

She bit down on her lip as she heard him halt in mid-sentence, piercing blue eyes catching hers over the little mob of females he was in the midst of chatting up. The expression on his face lost the rehearsed guise of confidence, transitioning clumsily toward genuine delight. Every pair of overly-made-up eyes followed his gaze to glare venomously at the potential threat. They all sensed the meaning of that amorous look on their idol's visage, like a shark senses blood in the water.

"Mm, would you 'scuse me for a moment, ladies?"

Sheena had resigned herself to the inevitable fact that she'd been caught, fidgeting a bit nervously as he parted the crowd to meet her. He looked as though he wanted to catch her in an embrace, but she motioned purposefully with her eyes toward the other girls as a signal to be discreet. Zelos backed off a bit with the blatant affection, but his mannerism was still exuberant when she finally managed to look at him eye-to-eye.

"Just get into town, hun? It's been _way_ too long, I was hoping you'd turn up here soon…"

The ninja brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, his cheeriness only increasing her own solemn mood. "S-sorry, I had a message to deliver to the king. I'd have stopped by to see you later—doesn't seem like I caught you at a good time anyway."

Zelos frowned in thought, tilting his head slightly with interest. "Sheena…" Her heart leapt up in her throat at the caring way he spoke her name. "You feeling alright? Look a little pale. Not overworking yourself again, I hope."

"No, no, don't worry about me! I'm just…" She shook her head despondently. "Just a little tired. I was heading back to the inn to catch a little nap."

"Oh. Well, that's understandable, with the trip over and all. After you rest up though, would you maybe wanna spend the festival night together?"

Sheena squinted at him in confusion. "…Huh?"

The Chosen rolled his eyes playfully, a teasing smile on his lips. "Aw, I figured you'd have forgotten. You know, the summer festival? We went together a few years ago, when you were staying at the research center."

She most certainly did remember. All of the times she had spent with him were quite lucid memories indeed. That particular night had been nerve-wracking; after all, being out in public with Zelos was intimidating. Most of Meltokio was distrustful both of Mizuho and of half-elves, and anyone who associated with either was looked down upon. She fell into both categories. But at least most of the people had been too sauced up on alcohol to really care much about anything…

He looked a bit uncomfortable with her silence. "So, maybe you could use a little fun then? Away from all the super-serious-ninja-stuff? Just me and you?"

Sheena smiled slightly at his rather obvious groveling. Next she expected him to come right out and give a good, long "_Please?_" the way a little kid would to his mother.

"I guess so," she finally sighed, pretending to be reluctant as a means of deflating his ego. "The fireworks _are_ pretty, even if the people are mostly asses."

A delighted grin tore across his face at her half-hearted affirmation, the blue in his eyes shining radiantly in the late afternoon sunlight. "Perfect! Then I'll come by and pick you up around eight-ish? If that's good with you."

Behind him and across the courtyard, the band of women was still staring venom into her as she nodded curtly in agreement. She was becoming increasingly self-aware of how much attention she'd attracted. Although normally not one to back down from a conflict, Sheena found herself wanting to retreat from the situation in light of the day's events.

"Uh, sure, that's fine," she muttered quickly, looking down at the ground again. "And, um—sorry if I interrupted your little…whatever that is." She glanced again toward the others.

She didn't notice it, but he was smirking at her comment. "Yeah, well, you can interrupt _that_ any time you feel like it. I sure won't complain." The young woman looked up at him skeptically, and he gave her a cute little wink. She wasn't sure if she should smile along with him or be annoyed.

"O-okay then…see you later?" She turned to go, but Zelos seized her by the forearm. Their eyes met, and he gave her that genuine smile again, like he had when he first caught sight of her.

"Don't look so worried, hm? In life, things aren't always as bad as they look."

She took her arm back, frowning a bit. He had no idea how bad things really were at the moment, but she couldn't tell him that. Instead she hid her anxiety with snappiness, as she often did with him. "Tsk, thank you Socrates. Now if you don't mind, I really need to lie down…and don't you dare offer to come with me!"

Sheena didn't look back at him as she walked away, and yet she was sure she could feel him fondly watching her leave. It was true that he was good at making her irritable, but somehow, she was certain that he was a whole lot better at making her feel guilty.

x x x

Only a few rays of sunlight remained in the sky as she stood outside the inn, waiting for her not-so-ordinary escort to come fetch her. By her watch, it was already fifteen minutes past the hour. Zelos had a habit of being late to their engagements. This time, however, she wasn't as annoyed as she might have been. She still felt out of sorts about the impending assassination mission; Corrine had offered his utmost support, which definitely helped to raise her spirits. Even so, Sheena doubted she would be able to relax and enjoy the evening with this weight on her chest.

In an instant she reassembled her composure when she saw her friend rounding the adjacent street corner. His eyes lit up when he came up to meet her, admiring her in an awkwardly obvious way before catching himself doing so.

"Get a nice little rest, sweetie? Certainly look refreshed," he added coyly, smiling at her light blush. "Really though…you're adorable with your hair down, y'know. Haven't seen you like that in ages…"

Sheena felt a smile tugging at her lips as he cast his gaze downward, clearly a little flustered. She had to admit, he didn't look too shabby himself. Thankfully, he'd left off the silly pink adornments this time, just the simple black shirt that contrasted his lengthy red curls. In a discreetly feminine fashion, she made note of his finely-toned body through the light fabric.

Quickly she saved them both the embarrassment by asking the obvious question. "So, what did you have planned for tonight? I don't really want to mingle with all of those snobby aristocrats, if that's what you're going for…"

Zelos wrinkled his nose in exaggerated disgust, earning a little snicker from her. "Not exactly, dear. I spend enough time with them at all those lackluster formal events. Like I said earlier, tonight's supposed to be actually _enjoyable_. So…I thought maybe we'd do something a bit naughty."

She glared at him flatly. In light of the rumors she'd begun to hear about him, she was afraid of what he might consider naughty.

He caught the gist of her expression in a heartbeat. "—I don't wanna know what atrocities you're thinking of, but what I meant was we're gonna ditch this city. You said you only like the fireworks anyway, so why don't we watch them from the outskirts of town?"

The mischievous look on his face spread to her as she contemplated the notion. "It _was_ kind of hard to see the show last time, with all of the city lights. Are we taking the usual route?"

By this she meant sneaking out via the waterway deep beneath the city. In their younger years they had utilized it quite frequently as a nighttime means of escape, having a variety of adventures on the beach or in the surrounding wilderness. Sheena was rather proud of herself for being the one to think up the idea in the first place; she'd been pretty well trained in the art of espionage, even at an early age.

The Chosen nodded. ""Course we are. Only one way out after the city gates shut, am I right?"

Fortunately, the entrance to their escape route was in a mostly deserted area of town. Everyone had gone to the main courtyard for the festivities, and the pair easily made their way into the depths below. Sheena remembered the route far better than he did; it'd been a few years, after all.

She smiled back at him when they emerged from the channel where the sewer led out to. True to character, Zelos was already running up to her side, like an eager hound to its mistress.

"Mm, so now that we're in private…" He took her hand in his, flashing her a warm grin when she raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming this is okay, if you're not in a banshee kick-my-ass mood."

The ninja just shrugged, not dignifying him with an answer. These days, with everything that was going on, they got along best when no words were exchanged. She still sensed that he cared deeply for her, but for whatever reason, he was much more guarded about it than ever before. Even still, he was insistent as ever to see her whenever possible.

At his suggestion, they headed out into the open field just north of Meltokio. A half of a mile in, he abruptly released his hold on her, flopping onto the grass. He patted the spot beside him, and with some reluctance, she seated herself.

He scooted close to her, not paying any mind to her standoffishness. "So, you were playing messenger again today? Just business as usual I'm guessing…"

Sheena kept her eyes cast down. "Yeah…just business as usual."

"Ooh, you know what I heard though?" he went on, unaware of her fidgeting. "I heard that someone from Mizuho is being sent to assassinate the Chosen of that…um, other world. You know anything 'bout that?"

"Ah…no, I haven't heard that yet. They don't always keep me posted on that kind of thing. The less people who know, the easier it is to keep secret."

Zelos must have bought the lie, because he didn't persist in the topic. She felt every muscle in her body relax. Now it was her turn to put him on the spot.

"So, what's with all of the girls lately…?" She shot him a rather poignant glare, one of the no-nonsense sort. "I've been hearing you're the talk of the town."

He shrugged, leaning back to lay flat. "Meh. They say lots of things. But I gotta be nice to them all anyway 'cause I'm the _Chosen One_."

She laughed humorlessly at the way he said it. There was only bitterness in the word.

"I know what you're thinking though, sweetheart," he added in that loathsome flirting tone. "You don't have to be jealous. It's not how you think."

Sheena rolled her eyes, cracking a tiny smile despite herself. "I didn't think so, but…it _was_ bugging me a bit…"

A smirk formed on his face. "You should've seen how pissed the little brats were over me talking to you earlier."

They both laughed, relieved and happy to be away from the rest of the world for a while. She almost even felt like things were going to turn out okay for once, but the feeling passed when he cornered her with an affectionate gaze that went right through her heart.

"Well, in any case…I'm really glad you're here." A little bit of a blush dusted his face, something he had never had much control over, especially around her. She felt her face heating up too when he pulled her playfully on top of him, their faces only a few inches apart.

Sheena smiled coyly at him, her dark locks brushing against his neck. "Aw, you missed me? 'Cause you know, that sounded like a confession to me."

"I _always_ miss you. If I could…" Zelos decided to push his luck a bit, kissing her neck softly. "I'd wanna see you every day."

She laughed quietly, twirling a red strand of hair around her finger. "You're sure charming when you want to be."

The Chosen gave her a shy grin in return, but his blue eyes danced with summer mischief. "I do try…"

Sheena was still in the midst of forming a sarcastic retort when he quickly leaned up for a kiss. His passion melted against her, intense but warmly affectionate. She moved her lips against his in return, feeling his fingers brushing against her back. The sigh of longing that escaped him was music to her ears.

The sound of fireworks in the sky caused them to separate, and both pairs of eyes looked up at the lights exploding over the city rooftops. Red, green, blue, gold; she counted the colors one by one, feeling him gently threading his fingers through hers.

She still had a knot of worry stuck in her chest, but her dearest friend was kissing her hand and nuzzling her neck, so it became increasingly difficult to hold onto that sinking feeling. Maybe he was right after all. Maybe things weren't always as bad as they looked.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks again to all my readers, you've been a great help in keeping me on this fic. I hope ya'll enjoyed. Now I need to contemplate a theme for this next month. ;)

Love much,  
-FP


	8. August

**August**

x x x

All around her, the darkness was stifling and completely solid. She could barely even see her own hands in front of her face. This was a unique kind of hell, to say the very least. Never had she felt so isolated, with only a far-off circle of light high above her head to remind her that she even had survived the fall. If she was going to die down here, she thought flatly, it would have been nice to at least die on impact rather than waiting for death in the pitch black.

As it would happen, however, Sheena had sustained surprisingly little damage. The only injuries she could confirm were what she assumed to be a number of nasty scrapes and scratches, as well as her wrist which she likely sprained from landing on it. She hoped this sacrifice she made was going to be enough to help Lloyd in rescuing Colette. Summoning had left her energy drained for now, so she guessed she wouldn't have been much help to him anyway even if she'd managed to come along.

In retrospect, the ninja found herself somewhat wishing she _had_ let him come to her rescue rather than urging him to go on without her. It was true that she had always tried to put on a tough and independent face for everyone, but there was also a _tiny_ part of her that wanted to be the fair maiden in distress for once.

Yet, her conscience wasn't going to let her take Colette's best friend from her. Lloyd clearly had had a crush on the little blonde Chosen for a long time anyway, and they quite obviously were a perfect match for each other. The reason they had ended up on this crazy misadventure in the first place was because he had been so unwilling to let her die.

And as much as it hurt to think about, Sheena wished very dearly that she had a friend that dedicated.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, clawing at the soft earth beneath her body. Even though she had promised herself she wouldn't, her thoughts once again turned to that traitorous idiot she had so foolishly called her friend. White-hot anger pulsed inside her chest, like a bomb threatening to explode. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream until it hurt, or simply cry in bitter frustration.

She felt like the stupidest person in the world. One would have to be either an idiot or completely insane to ignore their instincts the way she had. This whole time they were traveling together, she had been sure something was amiss in the world of Zelos Wilder. His entire aura was almost sinister, his mannerisms unfitting of how she usually perceived him. Sheena had already been pretty baffled by his strange shift in personality. The mild flirtatiousness he had always had about him had taken an unexpected turn toward outright womanizing. And while that perplexed her quite a bit, she sensed something much worse lurking beneath…

What _really_ got her mad was that she had almost begun to actually trust him again. She was always walking on a wire, never knowing how to feel. He would be sweet to her one day, and then say something awful the next. Instinctively she had known why, she _knew_ he was trying to keep her at a distance. Every time she got near him, it seemed like his first reaction was to say whatever it took to make her storm off.

Now it all made sense. He had been planning this from the start, and having her along for the ride was just a minor bump in the road. She wouldn't have ever expected he could be so damn selfish.

But now it seemed the only thing she had left inside of her was anger. Burning rage, fueled by hurt and betrayal. Most angering of all was that even after all that had happened…she still longed to see him again.

And she could not, for the life of her, figure out why.

The summoner didn't have much of a chance to contemplate it. Bits of debris had begun to tumble down the steep walls of the pit, showering her in a light spray of dirt and pebbles. Sheena felt her heart seize up. Was the hole caving in? She cast her gaze from side to side, her mind reeling. There was no way she could climb out, definitely not without her wrist failing her. The thought of being buried alive sent waves of terror through her, a deep panic welling up in her stomach.

But nothing happened. She remained tensed in anticipation, but the tremor seemed to have passed. Relieved, the young woman leaned back against the wall, trying to re-gather her thoughts. Naturally, her heart nearly flew out of her chest when she suddenly heard footsteps echoing down from above.

"Hm, should I really be _surprised_ to find you at the bottom of a hole, hunny?"

Her lips curled into a snarl. She had to have, hands down, the worst luck on the planet.

"I don't know, should I be surprised that you _screwed us all over_?" she snapped back at the voice.

Even though she couldn't see him, she was certain Zelos was wearing that pathetic little pout he always used on her. "Is that any way to talk to the person who's about to save you from an untimely demise?"

She wondered if she could hit him with a rock from this far away.

The stagnant silence stretched out between them. He must have been agitated by it, because he didn't let it go on for very long.

"Uh, so…I guess you want an explanation then for what happened back there?"

It was a remarkable understatement. She folded her arms. "Well, in my experience, people usually do give an explanation when they kidnap one of their friends and then leave the rest of them to die."

The ninja could just make out the sound of him laughing nervously. "This might clarify things, dear. Catch!"

She saw something small and sparkly fall from the mouth of the hole, bouncing off the root-covered walls and off of her poor head before landing on the ground. It was too dark to see, of course, and she had to feel around for it in the dirt. He really _was _an idiot sometimes.

Whatever he'd thrown to her, it felt like a small, smooth rock with a very slight glow to it. She had…absolutely no idea what the hell it was. And she said as much.

"So…you turned on us over a shiny rock?"

She couldn't hear it, but Zelos let out a long sigh. "Sheena, I expected better from you. It's Aionis. You know, the thing Lloyd absolutely-positively needs in order to use the Eternal Sword?"

For a moment she thought it over. Yes, that was right. He'd managed to make himself useful after all. But that didn't really change the fact that she was very, very mad at him.

"Well, now that you have it, I'm gonna have to come down there whether you like it or not," he called down, laughing a bit at the end. "Just don't murder me too badly, or you're probably not getting back out any time soon."

Sheena was about to wonder how the hell he planned on getting down there safely, let alone getting them both back out, when her question was answered for her. The Chosen glided down the dark descent neatly, the jump made safe by a glowing pair of golden wings. They looked to be of the same origin as Colette's wings, an incandescent shade of warm oranges and yellows. She would've been lying if she said it didn't impress her.

It must have shown on her face, because he let a small smile show when he landed next to her. Despite her current distaste toward him, she couldn't help but feel a heated rush of…_something _inside her head when she looked at him. The soft light from his wings gave his handsome features a surprisingly lucid appearance, glancing off his vivid red locks and sky blue eyes. The consolation he imparted to her, without even having to say a word, truly surprised her.

"Nifty, huh?" He bowed slightly, flitting his wings in a way she could only describe as girly. Then again, even someone as badass as Kratos looked a bit less intimidating with glittery pink and purple wings. The ninja had to laugh softly at this despite herself.

Zelos got the picture rather clearly, a grin immediately forming on his face. "Aw, you don't like my fairy princess wings? They're a bit better than sparkly pink though, in my opinion."

For a few moments, they were both laughing. It almost felt like things were normal again, even, until it hit her with full force what she wanted to ask him. Her eyes met his with the utmost seriousness, and from the remorse that entered his visage, she thought perhaps he knew what she was going to ask.

"You were working for them," she began calmly, almost sadly, "from the start, right? And…you didn't decide to go with us until just now, when we were back there…"

He didn't let his eyes betray him. "…What makes you say that?"

"You wouldn't look at us." She said it just above audibility.

His icy gaze upon her softened just a touch before he averted it to the side. "I made up my mind last night, actually. That's all that matters isn't it? I mean, you only met all these guys because you were out to kill Colette."

She winced when he said it, but he went on.

"And they forgave you for that…so, what's done is done."

"But I was doing it for Tethe'alla!" she protested, frowning in the dim light. "You did it for _yourself_."

The Chosen had nothing to say to this. She saw what she suspected was a shadow of guilt cross his face, and then he closed the gap between them quickly. A short yelp of pain escaped her when he gingerly seized her forearm that she'd been cradling.

"You got hurt..." He said it flatly, examining the myriad of bleeding scrapes. Sheena wasn't sure if he was trying to change the subject, but regardless that flicker of guilt seemed to be growing on his expression.

"I-it's nothing," she spoke up, though only in a mumble. "Worst of it is my wrist, I think I messed it up pretty good…"

She didn't know why she was trying to downplay her injuries. If anything, he ought to feel bad that she had gotten hurt because of his antics. Perhaps his latent regret was appealing to her more forgiving side.

"Well, I'll get you all fixed up after we get out of here, okay? The others might've ended up in trouble too, so we better get moving." Zelos ruffled her hair fondly, earning a tiny little smile out of her. "You gonna get mad at me if I carry you out of here, sweetie?"

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "I don't have a choice, do I? Just watch the hands!" She added it quickly as a precaution the moment he'd lifted her gently off the ground.

"Hold on tight, okay?" Sheena clung closer to him as he lifted off, raising them up like feathers on the wind.

She wasn't quite sure if things were going to be the same between them any time soon, but she did know that the heated rage had slowly begun to ebb away. Some other kind of warmth was filling the empty space it left inside her. She just couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like to finally be the damsel in distress.

…And somehow, she didn't mind it at all.

* * *

**A/N**: Zee end! For now. *dramatic lighting* Review, if you don't mind terribly? It lights up my day.

Much love,

-FP


	9. September

**September**

x x x

At the age of approximately fifteen years, the slightly-introverted ninja had not exactly travelled a whole lot. Her earliest experiences all took place in her well-concealed village home, with her most recent residency being in Meltokio's research laboratory. She wasn't much a fan of the latter, and with this in mind, she had quickly drawn that conclusion that she liked this town of Sybak far more than the overindulgent capital city.

That particular afternoon, Sheena, in all her teenage insecurity, had somehow mustered up the courage to pay the scholarly town a visit. It wasn't a typical thing for her to do; she hated crowds of strangers, even more so because it meant she couldn't really have Corrine scampering around at her feet. She already was relatively shunned, and having a supernatural creature to boot didn't lend well to disappearing into the background.

Of course, she had just needed to force herself into making the short trip across the bridge separating the two cities regardless of her inhibitions. After all, she hadn't seen her best friend in almost three weeks, and that just wasn't acceptable. She wanted to know how school was for him, if he was getting along well. Sheena knew better than anyone that he had a harder time being his natural self after long periods of finessing his admirers. The disingenuous nature of the whole experience seemed to leave him a bit cynical and guarded.

Milling about in Sybak's quiet main plaza, she couldn't help but hope he would be happy to see her. Her initial crush on him had only seemed to have grown over time, and with that, so had the fear of sudden rejection.

The young woman stole a glance at the clock that hung over the library, the center of much of the activity in the small town. She had asked a servant girl around her age when classes ended at the Imperial Research Academy. The answer had been that the students usually began to fill the street around a quarter past three. That was less than ten minutes from now.

Sheena ignored the curious looks some of the scholars were giving her as she made her way over to the steps of the huge university. Small groups of students, a few years older than her, were already beginning to pass her on their way to their dormitories. Their uniforms were neat and expensive-looking, their status apparent in the proud way they carried themselves.

The girls, especially, made her feel out of place. Most of them had long blonde or chocolate-colored hair, complexions perfectly manicured with fine cosmetics. She didn't like how phony-looking they were, their appearance likely a perfect reflection of their shallow personalities. Sheena wondered if any of them were nice people; it was so hard to tell with the face that they all put on.

And yet, out of all of these beautiful people who composed Tethe'alla's future aristocracy, Zelos Wilder was not among them. He was usually pretty easy to spot, considering he drew a small crowd everywhere he went these days. The summoner followed the outer wall of the huge building over to the main entrance, her eyes scanning the steady stream of uniformed students. Oblivious to what was in front of her, she turned the corner and—

Immediately collided with someone. Quite hard as luck would have it, and being of a modest stature, that meant she ended up falling right onto the stone-paved road beneath her. When she looked up to see who that person was, her gaze met with the only one she had actually been hoping to see. He was dusting himself off, giving her a teasing glance that often followed one of her acts of clumsiness. Before she could say a word, the sudden shrill wail that fell on her ears made her instinctively wince.

"Ugh, you little _brat_. Pay attention to where you're _lumbering_!" An older girl with curly blonde hair glared at the ninja from her friend's side. "You could've gotten your filth on the Chosen One!"

Sheena had to admit, 'lumbering' seemed like a big word for someone who looked so very dull. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Zelos wince as well, like an embarrassed parent whose child was throwing a public tantrum. He quickly cut in.

"Er, didn't you say you were meeting up with Holly after class? She was waiting back for you in the hallway."

Her eyes narrowed in irritation. "You mean Laila?"

"Sure, that's what I said, wasn't it?" He blinked back at the girl innocently. Sheena swore she saw a touch of sarcastic venom flash across his blue gaze.

"Hmph, well…I'll see you tomorrow then, Master Zelos!" She waved obnoxiously as she walked off, leaving them alone for the time being. In that moment there was a silent, shared understanding between the two friends that neither of them was sorry to see her go.

"…Don't suppose you need a hand up, sweetie?" Sheena glanced up at him again, barely aware that she hadn't picked herself up off the ground yet. She accepted his strong grip rather gratefully as he helped her to her feet.

He was smiling a bit sheepishly at her when they stood face to face, clearly embarrassed over the previous situation. She didn't have much of a problem calling him on it, though.

"Are all of your friends here so…how should I put this…unsavory?" She let a small smile show, although the question was a serious one.

"_Acquaintances_. I don't exactly revel in their company, in case you couldn't pick up on that." He rolled his eyes. "But there are some necessary evils in life."

Sheena raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Necessary?"

He shifted his weight to the other side, giving her a cagey smile. "She shares her notes with me in class if I shoot her a cute little smile. Works on _all_ of them."

At this she had to snicker. "You've never mentioned that you were such a bad student…"

"I'm _not_. I just can't stand English class. And history." Zelos paused, folding his arms stubbornly. "Well, everything but math, really…"

For a moment, he was silent. She noticed his face had flushed a soft shade of red, his entire demeanor relaxing and opening up. It was a surprisingly intimate experience, and there was no denying that it made her feel special.

"Well, anyway. Want me to walk you home, madamoiselle?" The Chosen put an arm around her cheerfully, pulling her into a half-hug.

She wriggled slightly in his tight hold. "But I was the one who came to visit you. Doesn't walking me home kind of defeat the purpose…?"

"Hm, maybe. But who cares? The point is you're here now, and you need to get back to Meltokio, and so do I." Zelos grinned impishly, still hugging her tightly. "I mean, I haven't seen you in three weeks. Lovers shouldn't be apart that long!"

Growling, she pried him off of her. "Zelos, I am _not_ your lover."

He grinned mischievously, only causing her to glare even more irritably at him. "Maybe not yet. Someday, I'm still hoping…"

"And on that note, can we get going already? I didn't show up here to be seduced—even if it _is_ a pretty sorry attempt."

Faux-dramatically, he laid his hand across his forehead. "Oh, how love doth pain me. Your rejection breaks my heart, sweetness."

And with that, he was off.

It seemed that his exuberance was almost tangible as she tailed along next to him, weaving through the nearly empty streets. Most of the students, he explained to her, lived in the dorms around the academy. Sybak happened to be where the sons and daughters of all of Tethe'alla's most wealthy and affluent people attended school. Unfortunately, this meant that the majority of the student body had the personality of a wet carrot.

As they were walking through the tall grass en route to the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, Sheena made note of the fact that he was walking much closer to her. She considered commenting on it, but he beat her to breaking the silence.

"So, how's Corrine doing?"

She glanced over into his soft blue eyes, the most intense shade she had ever seen on someone. "I guess he's doing fine. He's always mad at me lately though…over all the experiments they do on him."

"That sucks," he replied, yawning rather unintentionally. "But that's not your fault, is it?"

The ninja shook her head, a sigh escaping her. "No, but it still makes him upset. I just don't know what to do about it. How do you make someone feel better when you know you can't do anything to help them?"

He smiled when she said this, chuckling knowingly at her sincerity. "I dunno. I always thought you were pretty damn good at that, for what it's worth."

A blush broke out on her face at this, her soft laugh filling the air between them. She stopped outright when she noticed his eyes going wide, looking at something behind her. In one fluid motion he knocked her out of the way, only a split second before a snarling wildcat pounced onto the spot she had been standing on.

The girl reached for her spell cards, but Zelos was already on it. Unarmed, he resorted to another tactic, and before she could even blink the beast erupted in a huge plume of flames. Though the attack didn't kill it, the monster ran off yowling in rage, clearly deciding there was easier prey to be found.

Pulling herself to her feet, Sheena smiled wryly over at her friend. "Seems like I get pushed over a lot when I'm around you, huh?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, brushing his long red bangs out of his eyes. "I had a bad feeling something like that would happen. I get ambushed sometimes around here when I'm walking back and forth to Sybak. That particular little bastard jumped out of the grass before we even knew he was there."

"It's a good thing you have fast reflexes then, I think." A tinge of shyness crossed her face, her eyes quickly turning away from him. That must have been why he was keeping so close to her. "But we made it here in one piece. See, we're already at the bridge."

The summoner started off ahead of him, but he quickly called out to her. "Hey! Sheena!"

She turned back to look at him, stopping dead in her tracks. "Hm?"

"Uh…I just wanted to say…" He rubbed the back of his head anxiously, his blue gaze cast far off in another direction. "Thanks. Y'know…for coming to see me. People don't usually go very far out of their way for me, not unless they have to. But you already know that, I think."

Sheena felt her face grow a bit warm again as she walked back over to him, toying with a loose strand of her hair out of nervousness. Before she lost her nerve, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. "Well, thanks for looking out for me. It really does mean a lot."

She stole a glance up into his eyes, enamored as ever by the tenacity of those sharp blue depths. He smiled back at her before taking the opportunity to nose her cheek gently. Her own brown eyes closed contentedly, body leaning more fully against him as he gave her cheek a soft peck.

Still pressed warmly to his chest, she gave a deep sigh before letting go. She fixed him with a flippant look as she leaned forward, whispering, "I bet…I could beat you across the bridge!"

Zelos put a hand on his hip, playfully imitating the stance she always took when she was indignant. "Ooh, now that's a challenge if I've ever heard one."

"See you on the other side then, pretty boy!" she taunted, and in a flash she was running as fast as she could toward Meltokio.

The Chosen shook his head, a smile plastered on his face as he took off after his friend. Chasing that girl, it seemed, was going to become a recurring theme in his life.

* * *

**A/N**: Hehe, yes, that scene toward the beginning was in fact a parallelism to when the party first meets Zelos ingame. I can't help myself when it comes to irony and parallels. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and please review either way! I'm a little behind on reviews and I'd love to see some since it brightens my day. *teary eyes*

Much love,

-FP


	10. October

**October**

x x x

The patter of rain against the window filled his senses as he blearily opened his eyes on the world, only half aware that it was even morning yet. He couldn't remember dreaming anything, he'd slept so soundly. So, naturally, his heart nearly exploded when he suddenly was being shaken, golden brown eyes staring intensely into his own.

Of course, this obviously startled reaction drew nothing but laughter from her. Sheena, dark hair falling delicately into her smiling face, was cuddled beside him in the sea of blankets. "Ah, Zelos. If last night wasn't proof of your…mm, _chastity_…then that look on your face just now _definitely_ was!"

Still a bit bewildered by the whole situation, he could only give her that coy grin she secretly adored. "Well…g'morning to you too, sweetheart. You're not complaining already, are ya? Way too early in the morning…"

"Nope. In fact, I like you just the way you are. If I didn't, I can promise you I wouldn't be here right now," she answered briskly, slipping her arms around the former Chosen's neck. It wasn't too surprising to her when he started to turn slightly pink, and she just couldn't help but run a few soft kisses along his jaw.

The summoner glanced back up into his radiant blue eyes the minute she felt his hand close tenderly around her own. They both were feeling a bit awkward, distracted by the strange new sensation of their bare bodies touching under the covers. At long last, Sheena realized her face was starting to feel warm as well. Still, she was determined to see a smile on his face, so she didn't mind helping him ease the tension.

Gingerly, she shifted his grip down to rest on the smooth curve of her hip, laying her hand upon his. The only way she knew he hadn't died of joy was that his hold immediately tightened on her waist, a sharp inhalation moving in his chest. Knowing Zelos, she suspected he had not managed to breathe since he woke up.

They stayed that way, silent, for long enough that she began to wonder if he was falling asleep again. She was going to look up and see, but already he had spoken up. To her surprise, his voice sounded more vulnerable than she had ever heard from him.

"Y'know…I really was afraid for a long time. If anyone had asked me honestly, I never would've dreamed that we would be here today." He smirked after he said it, but there was no doubt in her mind that he meant every word of it.

Frowning, Sheena rested her head against the warmth of his chest. "Well, that's not too hard to believe. You were kinda awful for a while there."

Zelos shook his head. "No, even before that. I…I'm sure I never could have told you, but I didn't think we would last. I was so sure I'd go the way of dear old Mom and Dad, just another meaningless little tragedy in a long line of 'em…"

Her eyes grew sad at this confession, imagining not for the first time a young Zelos that the whole world adored, and yet no one seemed to love. "Then, why…? Why did you bother?"

"Hm, bother with _what_, hunny?" That sharp blue gaze on her didn't waver. She was positive he knew what she was asking, but he was going to make her say it.

"Ever since we were kids, you never gave up on chasing me," she mumbled in reply, her free hand curling into his wild red locks. "Even when I kinda wished you would."

He laughed at her tone, playfully running a finger down her nose before giving it a light tap. "Damn, what a question. Honest answer would be…I'd never met anyone quite like you. Sharp as a whip, pretty as a flower, and not one bit interested in who I was. You _know_ I'd have followed you anywhere, with or without your permission."

"I wouldn't have ever admitted it," she began, snickering quietly. "But I seriously _did_ have a crush on you, even before you started to flirt with me like crazy."

"Yeah, I think every girl in town did at that point. And 'cause I'm an idiot, I was all googley over the one that easily could've snapped my wittle heart into pieces." Zelos grinned innocently at this, his hand drawing pictures on her back.

She swiped her tongue over her lips, a shrewd smile forming. Although he was trying hard to hide it, there was a lingering fear in his eyes. It was only a guess, but she suspected that no matter how much he loved her, the dread of losing her would be nipping close at the heels of that love. Holding tight to his hand at her waist, Sheena traced her fingertip over the gold band he wore.

"Zelos…" Very softly she whispered the word, her cheek nestled into his neck. His intense blue gaze fell to her with the same calm intelligence that he had become far too skilled at concealing.

"Look, I know I'm not always so great at being open with you," she began, her voice almost timid for once. "But we both know that the people who should have loved you most in life deserted you…"

Pausing, the ninja dropped her voice even lower before finishing. "So…so just understand. I'm not ever going to be one of those people."

The redhead smiled warmly back at his bride, delicately brushing her dark bangs out of her eyes. "'Course I know that. You've always been different, like I said. I just hope that you'll be happy being with me…"

A scowl crept onto her face. "Don't say stupid things like that. I picked you for a reason, and I'm certainly happy with it. Now I just want to see _you_ happy. Smile like you used to before things got tough. I want your _real_ smile, not the one you fake for everyone else. I want the one you always save just for me."

Zelos had to chuckle at this, her eyes almost looking like she was in banshee mode. But it was a lot different when she wasn't actually mad at him. He quickly shut up before her wrath was invoked.

"...Sorry, sweetie. I guess I'm a little off right now. The whole marriage thing is kinda scary. I guess if anyone can slay the dragon of matrimony, though, it'd be us. We're a kickass team when you aren't bitching at me, dontcha think?"

Sheena stared at him with a bit of irritation in her eyes, although it was of the more playful kind. At least he was smiling, so there was a victory somewhere in there.

"It's not gonna get really scary until we have kids now, hm?" she deadpanned, watching him stop in mid-yawn to suddenly go wide-eyed. "Then we'll _definitely_ have to put our game face on."

"Whoa, wait a second," he cut in quickly, not quite catching on that she was teasing him. "We just tied the knot _yesterday_, don't get too carried away yet."

"Aw, why not? You'll be a great daddy someday. I mean, you're already great with children, right?" She laughed to herself as she weaved her fingers through his hair, interested to see how far she could push him with the subject.

"I didn't have any decent parents," he muttered, not looking at her eyes anymore. "How am I supposed to know if I'm doing it right?"

"Well, you said the same thing last night!" she blurted, finally unable to contain her laughter. "W-We'll be fine. We figure stuff out by ourselves. We do things our own way, right?"

"Fine, okay!" His face had become a little red again. After all, Zelos was never one to really enjoy losing a battle of wits with her. "But we're definitely waiting on that. You still have the village to run and stuff, and I have business to take care of here, and all that."

She smiled wolfishly, nosing his face with an affectionate nudge. "That's fine. But I _still_ think you'll be a great father."

A bit miffed, he gave her a sidelong look. "I guess…at least they'll have it better than I did."

"Oh, it's not like you to under-exaggerate things. Of course they would." With this, Sheena became much more serious. She pushed her face close to his, their noses brushing. "You probably haven't come to terms with it yet, but you're the first one to be set free. Our kids will be the first in dozens of generations to be born of a Chosen and never have to worry about having that title. Not to mention you got to pick your mate."

They were quiet for a moment, the room filled with the sound of the rain tapping on the roof. The sound of the former Chosen laughing softly finally broke the silence, and she couldn't help but be surprised when he lifted her chin to look at him. His eyes were still uncertain, but the sensation of his lips pressing strongly against hers was as real as anything could be.

"I know I'm lucky as hell to be with someone like you," he told her, the confidence radiating in his voice. "So I have no doubt that whatever challenges we go through together, we'll make it." With a respectful tentativeness, his fingertips grazed over the ticklish flesh at her navel, eliciting another short fit of laughter from her. "…Even if it's something as scary as raising a family."

Much to his dismay, she moved to take her arms away from holding him tightly. She was still feeling embarrassed and awkward, so she ended up gripping the blankets around her instead. "I s'pose I better get ready to go then. They'll be expecting me back home in a few hours, and the weather's going to make it difficult to travel…"

Stubbornly, Zelos had to grab her hand again, lacing his fingers through hers in earnest. "Shee-naaa, you can use someone to hold your umbrella on the way, right?"

She blinked back at him, clearly conflicted about his request. "You know I said we'd have to wait before you can come with me. It's just not typical for people in Mizuho to marry outsiders. Not everyone will be okay with my choice, even if my grandfather was."

He tilted his head to the side like a disgruntled puppy. "Is there ever gonna to be a good time to tell them? C'mon…I was proud for everyone in Meltokio to know I married you. They probably weren't all 'okay' with it either, but that doesn't matter. You're their leader now, so quit trying to be the person you think other people want you to be."

Sometimes, she couldn't stand it when he talked sense. He smiled slyly as she contemplated it, noticing at once when her expression showed resignation. They both knew he was right. They were married now, after all, and the world was just going to have to get used to it.

Zelos had to smile mirthfully as she tossed his clothes at him in a state of halfhearted banshee-ness. Mizuho was definitely in for a surprise today.

* * *

**A/N**: Heh this one was both sweet, sexy, and funny. Love it. Anyway. Review.

Much love,

-FP


	11. November

**November**

x x x

Dazzling white moonlight danced on the ocean's dark surface in the dreary midnight, a thin shimmer coating the water as though some great god had doused it with quicksilver. It was a clear night, and the brilliance of a million stars lit up the black heavens with fireflies. Far off in the distance, the flame from a lonely lighthouse just couldn't compete with the proud celestial display above.

Resting sleepily on an isolated dock in the town of Palmacosta, the one and only Zelos Wilder leaned his weight against one of the wooden supports. Though the hour was late, he couldn't help but take the time to himself. After all, there wasn't any place like it in Tethe'alla, at least that he had ever been to. Altamira rested by the sea, but it was so gaudy and silly, certainly never filled with the peace he was enjoying here. Most of the places he had spent his life were so flooded with bright city lights that he had only on a few occasions seen a sky filled with stars.

He would have plenty of time to enjoy the view for now, at least. As it was, Lloyd and his merry followers had stopped by Palmacosta to drop dear old Mithos off somewhere safe. How the Chosen did detest that manipulative little bastard. Despite the fact he himself was currently deceiving the very same people, there was a distinctly sinister pleasure that the half-elf seemed to get out of toying with others. Giving people a false impression happened to be something Zelos prided himself on—he had been practicing such a thing most of his life. To a point, it was rather fun; he made it more of a game to challenge himself with. People made it even easier when they devised the lies themselves, and for the most part, no real harm came out of the petty rumors and gossip that his little experiments generated.

But, as of late, it seemed as though his lies had become more and more dangerous. It wasn't a game anymore, and beneath his exterior of indifference, he wasn't exactly comfortable with the direction he was going.

Heaving a world-weary sigh, he tossed a chunk of wood that he had peeled off of the dock across the water. In some ways he felt so very justified in screwing everyone over. Even though Lloyd was a pretty likeable guy, it was that very trait that Zelos found so excruciatingly annoying. It seemed wherever the kid went, he won people over…and all he had to do was be his own simpleton self. If he tried that on the people of Tethe'alla, or his little crowds of small-minded fans, the Chosen was absolutely positive that they would abandon him like a sinking ship.

No wonder she admired Lloyd so much. He himself had never truly felt like he deserved her anyway. If only he wasn't so bonded to her, maybe that fact wouldn't cut so deeply into him. Like a stray dog at her doorstep, he waited patiently in the cold for the day he could return to her side.

And, though his _trust_ wasn't easy to win…his _loyalty_ was eternal.

So it wasn't exactly a surprise that this whole deception-and-betrayal business had begun to wear on his senses. Everything had become a mess now, and he had no idea how to fix it.

The surreal feeling of a hand on his shoulder brought his contemplations to an abrupt end. Zelos hadn't really considered anyone would come to find him, not when it was so late. But the familiarity of the touch was a dead giveaway, in any case. Plus, who else was that good at sneaking up on him?

He assembled his best flirtatious visage before glancing up into that pretty face of hers. "Burning the midnight oil, Sheena-dear?"

"Sorry," she murmured. Her brown eyes averted awkwardly from his, and she quickly removed her touch from his arm. "I didn't bother you, did I?"

The redhead blinked. _This _was different. "Mm, not really. Did you want me to get you a glass of water or something?"

Sheena shook her head, a nervous smile on her face. Could she _possibly_ make this any weirder?

"You sure pick odd places to hang out," she commented, nervously fidgeting with the end of her obi. "I just wanted to make sure I found you before I went to sleep."

"Oh, I _like _where this is going." He grinned obnoxiously, but her expression had already gone from uncertain to mildly exasperated. She turned to go.

"I must be the stupidest person in the world," she muttered, not looking back at him.

His blue eyes went sharp again. "Hey, c'mon, wait a second Sheena," he called back.

She kept walking. The young woman certainly had impeccable skills for ignoring him.

"_Fine_, I won't be a smartass anymore!"

This caught her attention. She stopped, turning to face him with a stern look. "You better mean that."

Zelos gave her his best innocent little smile, wiggling a gloved finger at her. "Pinky swear."

Somewhat grudgingly, the ninja returned to him. This time, she sat down beside him on the dock.

A few moments of silence passed, only the sound of the tide filling the air. It felt really uncomfortable, but he wasn't going to be the one to break it. He didn't trust his stupid mouth.

"The reason I wanted to talk to you," she began at last, looking out at the water. "Is that I wanted to apologize for getting mad at you earlier. You know, back there when we came through the gate. I just wasn't thinking clearly, and you obviously _were_."

Sheena clasped her hands together in her lap, nervously cutting to the chase. "Uh…so…thank you. That's what I'm getting at."

A conspicuous silence filled the air for a moment. It was only cut short by the Chosen's familiar chuckling. He had been sure she would be angry at him for days, especially since he had mouthed off to her after his minor act of heroism. He had never considered that she would appreciate it; protecting her was simply one of the ways he expressed his dedication to her.

"You don't have to thank me, sweetheart. Or apologize, for that matter."

The summoner looked up at him, though his gaze was out on the water as hers had been. The reflection of the ocean on his blue eyes made for a beautiful illusion.

"And…I really shouldn't have said that thing to you. That was pretty cold." He took her hand from where it rested on the wooden surface, giving it a fond little squeeze. "So I'm the sorry one."

Her face was hard to see in the dim light of the moon, but he could tell her cheeks were tinged pink. Zelos supposed she wasn't expecting him to ever take responsibility for his recent behavior. Of course, it would jeopardize his plans if he fell too far out of his persona…and yet he had a hard time getting that hurt, offended expression of hers out of his mind. In short, he felt like a complete ass.

"It's okay." Sheena gave a small smile back, surprisingly not taking her hand back from him. "I guess I can forgive you. But you're still not getting a kiss."

Now _he_ had to resist the urge to blush. It was easy to be a jerk when he had an audience, but when they were alone together, the whole thing felt stupid and immature. He couldn't help but wonder if what Mithos was offering him was worth all of this. She was acting like a stranger to him, the one person that had loved and trusted him for so long. If he lost her, he'd have no one to blame but himself.

Perceptive as ever, Sheena noticed his change in aura. "You getting sick or something, Zelos? I mean, I didn't actually believe you really _were_ going to drop the annoying attitude."

He sighed half-heartedly, leaning his weight against her. "Too tired to piss you off, I guess?"

"Well, apparently not!" she complained, not quite succeeding in pushing him away. "I am _not_ your pillow!"

The Chosen was tempted to make a sarcastic comment about her cushiony chest, though he had enough sense not to. "Aw, but I'm sleepy, I wanna _cuddle_."

With a slightly more forceful shove, she managed to pry the cuddler from her. But he was taking her with him. Zelos decided he had planned this rather nicely, ending up flat on his back with an irritated ninja on top.

Sheena stared at him disapprovingly for a split second, no doubt getting ready for a scolding. He beat her to the punch. Like a puppy, he bridged the small gap between their faces, and kissed the tip of her nose.

Her face looked as bewildered as if he'd just _bit _her.

Rubbing her nose, she pulled herself off of him. Zelos really was setting records with his spontaneous behavior this time. True, it was often how he got when he was tired, but this was a bit much even for him.

"Well," she stated simply. "I don't really have an answer for that one. I think I'd be mad if I wasn't, you know, confused at your total weirdness."

"Oh, come on, Sheena." He laughed as he said it, still on his back. He'd propped his arms behind his head, figuring he might as well enjoy the nice view of the stars from this angle. "Aren't I always weird? At least, according to you."

She stared at him blankly as she re-tied her hair ribbon. "You're right. You _are_ always weird. And speaking of weird, I did have something else to ask you while the others aren't around."

Half falling asleep, he muttered something that sounded like an "uh-huh."

"Why in the _hell_ do you keep telling Lloyd I'm in love with him?"

And he thought his little kiss had shocked _her._ Her questions were practically as stealthy as she was.

"Whatever do you mean, hunny?" he purred back.

Sheena scooted closer to him, leaning over his face to give him a good stare. "Don't act all innocent with me. You and I both know Lloyd is way too dense to make that stuff up without _you_ putting him up to it."

He hated being caught red-handed. Time for a change in strategy. "Well, my dear, you do make it quite obvious. You stare at him, you agree with him most of the time, and you act all dejected when he and Colette are together." The Chosen held up a finger for each crime.

Much to his delight, the young woman begun to blush, and her temper flared. "That's _none_ of your concern. And none of that means I 'love' him. At least Lloyd _cares_ about Colette! He came all the way here to make her better. He's not running around bragging about how he's such a stud, treating girls like they're all the same, acting like a jerk."

She folded her arms to punctuate the statement, muttering some unintelligible complaints.

Zelos winced. That did kind of sting. A pretty decent part of him wanted to refute this, the part that cared a whole lot about her and what she thought of him. It just wasn't the right time, as much as he hated to admit it.

With a surprising amount of tenderness, he brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Hey, look. It's okay. I didn't mean to get you all upset." He paused. "I won't say anything like that to Lloyd anymore, alright?"

"I'd appreciate that." Her frown had softened a bit, and she looked off toward the streets of Palmacosta. "But now I'm heading to bed, if you don't mind. It's gotta be well past midnight."

He pulled himself up from the hard wooden surface of the dock, offering her a hand up. She accepted, but wouldn't look at him until they had already begun to make their way to the inn.

The redhead speculated that Sheena might remain mad at him from that point forward, at least until she stopped short. He glanced over at her, and in a startling instant she had met his gaze intensely. She moved forward a step, placing a hand on his chest.

"This doesn't mean you're off the hook, but…" She hesitated for a second. "But I _absolutely meant it_ when I thanked you. Even if you drive me crazy, you're still the one who knows me best. Don't think that I forgot that."

Fast enough to catch him by surprise, she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. It was lightning fast—over before he even knew it happened—but definitely enough to leave him pretty much dumbfounded.

She had already darted off for the inn by the time he had recovered, her pretty laugh following her.

"G'night, Zelos."

* * *

**A/N**: Surprisingly, I noticed I've _never_ written interplay about the gate scene between them even though it's basically one of the major Sheelos scenes in the game. I know people like to address that a lot, but I wanted to anyway, just so this collection is representative of a lot of their most important little moments. And the theme was giving thanks! Hehehe. You know, Thanksgiving. Hurr hurr. Anyway hope you guys enjoyed, I wrote more dialogue than I'm normally comfortable with, trying to get better at it and such. Until next time, when we have the grand finale!

Much love,

-FP


	12. December

**December**

x x x

Nearly six years had gone by since he last spent a winter in Meltokio.

It was the thought that passed the former Chosen idly while he watched the fire dancing beneath the mantle, his gaze carefully avoiding the window. The snow had come silently during the previous night, giving him an unwanted greeting when he drew back the curtains in the morning. A sight that left an empty void in the pit of his stomach.

In fact, there had been a time when the chill weather did not drive him off to the safety of warmer climates. That started later. A certain conversation with a dear friend, all those years ago, had given him the slightest change of heart.

Sheena had been the first soul he had ever confessed that horrible story to. After all, she had willingly told him of the accident she was caught up in when her pact with Volt failed. Her eyes filled with tears when she spoke of it, one of the sparse times he had seen the tough girl show a sign of vulnerability.

Years down the road, Zelos knew why he brought himself to speak his darkest memory to her, even against his strong impulse to suppress it. He had fallen in love with her; it was as simple as that. This was something he knew in his heart, not his mind, like a latent instinct.

But that love wasn't complete yet. Sharing that ugly, broken part of him was the final step. So he offered it to her, on the year's first snow, as a symbol of his trust.

He couldn't help but smile an ironic smile at the thought of it. Sheena's unpredictable nature had been just as strong even then, when they were making the awkward transition from friends to, well, "something else."

Having given her the tale right down to the last detail, he had the unsettling feeling that she would respond with the insincere sympathy that the whole world had thrust upon him right after the gruesome death of his mother. Or even worse, just the disconcerting stare that had followed him everywhere since that day, the one that seemed to mark him as the child no one could love.

As it would turn out, he'd greatly underestimated her.

x x x

"…_then she died, holding me in her arms."_

_Zelos could not look at her as he said it. His voice had dropped to a low murmur since he had begun. _

_The two of them had been lounging together on the roof of an old abandoned building in the slums of Meltokio, one of their many meeting places. He supposed he must have turned a milky shade of green when a flurry of snowflakes began to lightly dust them, bits of the stuff contrasting her dark black hair as they landed._

_Even as he spoke, he was still surprised that he was telling Sheena this. Although he had made the decision he would at some point, the sudden confrontation by the trigger of his fears had forced him to do it on the spot._

"_She said it quiet enough that none of the people gathering around us could hear." The Chosen hung his head, his reddish-orange bangs hiding his eyes. "But those were her last words. 'You should never have been born.'"_

_He was silent then, an involuntary shiver passing through him as the chill ice gathered on his hair and clothes. Bringing himself to look her in the eye felt suddenly difficult._

"_Zelos…"_

_His thoughts froze when she gently brushed her hand against his upper arm, the affection of the gesture apparent._

"_Don't you think I understand how you feel? A lot of people died when I messed up that pact with Volt. Some of the people in the village still won't even talk to me."_

_At the strain in her voice, Zelos couldn't help but finally look over into her eyes. They were full of remorse, just as her tone was._

_Corrine stood up from where he had been resting in her lap, trotting over a few small paw-steps to stand in front of the Chosen. The summon spirit had yet to take a liking to Zelos, but there was something in his nature that made him unusually sensitive to the emotions of humans. That fact was especially evident in his interactions with Sheena._

"_Sheena really means what she says!" he yipped earnestly, his tails thrashing with the sincerity of the statement. "She even still cries out about it sometimes, in her sleep…"_

"_Corrine!"_

"_Sorry, Sheena…" He hung his head low, hopping back over to sit complaisantly upon her shoulder._

"_W-well, anyway, what I mean to say is you aren't alone, okay?" Her cheeks had become pink, though he wasn't quite sure if that was the cold or not. "But, what your mother said to you…I don't think she meant it the way you think…"_

_He looked up suddenly. "Huh? Whad'ya mean?"_

"_Maybe I'm wrong, but from what you told me about your parents, they were very unhappy. They were forced to marry someone they didn't love. And she had to bring you into the world knowing that you would be a Chosen of Mana. The life of a Chosen—"_

"—_isn't worth living?" he finished, a sour note of irony in his voice._

"_No!" she snapped back, her eyes becoming sharp. "Not that. It's just…difficult. You know that's true. But I'm sure your mother must have loved you very much. She probably just didn't want your life to be so tragic, like hers and your father's…"_

"_I…I s'pose so. I just hope that maybe one day…" He paused, reaching over to close his hand over hers. True to her nature, she couldn't help but blush at the contact. "I just hope we won't blame ourselves for it anymore."_

_She smiled up at him, her reddened cheeks practically melting him on the inside. "I hope so."_

x x x

Talking to his friend that day, many years ago, had been the closest he ever came to feeling absolved from the death of his mother. His life had changed knowing that someone else lived with the same struggle as he did. Just having a friend who understood him—accepted him—was enough to paint his world a different color.

Then, things went back to normal. She eventually did have to return to Mizuho, after her training was over, and again he felt surrounded by darkness. That was when he started leaving the city when winter came around. Altamira had never been a favorite spot of his, practically as bad as the capital city itself, but at least the snow never reached it.

But now, after everything they had been through…had his wish come true? Zelos wasn't sure. Perhaps for her it had. Sheena was now next in line to lead her people, and her recent role in uniting the worlds had definitely added favorably to her reputation among them. That made him happy. Whether or not it was possible for him to be redeemed, well…

"So, you better not be feeling too far in the dumps. These cookies didn't turn out nearly good enough to work any miracles."

His favorite person leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen, a plate of the questionable confections in her hands. He decided to see how long he could manage to talk to her, while her hair was dusted with flour, without laughing.

"Holding up just fine, thank-you-very much," he quipped back, but motioned for her to sit with him all the same. "Although I _do_ appreciate the concern, of course."

Sheena frowned, setting the dish on the coffee table as she settled beside him on the couch. "I thought you'd want a visitor today, because of, you know…" she trailed off, looking into the fire rather than at him. "Why else did you think I showed up here out of the blue?"

"Because I'm your favorite person ever in the whole world?" The ex-Chosen smiled innocently back at her, grabbing away the cookie she had been about to bite into. She glared at him as he munched on it contentedly. "Meh, they're just fine. Better than I could do, I'm sure."

"Now _that_ I don't doubt." She reached over to take a new one for herself, and to his surprise, leaned against him while she nibbled on hers. It felt like a long time since they'd been at ease with physical contact between them, but the sweet familiar scent of her hair demanded a response. He couldn't help but slip an arm around her waist and draw her closer.

When she glanced up into his eyes, Zelos almost regretted the gesture. He still wasn't entirely sure whether she trusted him now, after how much he had lied to her in the recent past. But then she smiled kindly at him, and he thought perhaps the room felt a lot warmer after that.

"Zelos?"

He blinked back at her nervously; that tone of voice always meant she was trying to sugarcoat something unpleasant. "Hm?"

"Are you…y'know…are you okay? I worry about you this time of year. Being depressed, by yourself…"

Serious though she was, he couldn't help but crack a sarcastic grin. "You think I'd off myself or something?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Her face had turned to a scowl, but it softened after a moment. He noticed her glance over at the portrait of his mother hanging on the wall. "I just know you still blame yourself for what happened. And it's just not fair for it to be like that forever."

"Heh, Sheena. You're almost as much of an idealist as Lloyd sometimes." For a moment he paused, not wanting to look at her with any weakness in his eyes. "I never expected things to be different, you know."

"You didn't expect to live past twenty, either. You didn't expect to ever be anything other than a Chosen. But things change. Even for me." She sighed, leaning her head against his chest. "I thought Mizuho would never accept me again. I thought my grandpa would never wake up and that it would be my fault. I did everything I could to repent for my mistake, even if I couldn't undo the damage…"

Zelos heaved a breathy sigh. "But there wasn't anything I could do to fix what happened. If I wasn't around, she wouldn't have been killed, and Seles wouldn't have had to spend her life in exile."

"None of that was ever your fault," she insisted quietly. Sheena had taken to frowning again, he noted. "No one has any say in whether they're born or not."

"I would never be able to make it up to her. That's the thing. I wish I would've had the opportunity to make her proud…"

For a moment she was silent, but then she surprised him by slipping her hand into his. "Then you should live the life she wanted to live. Make your own decisions, and find happiness."

A little squeak of surprise escaped her when he pulled her into a tighter hug. He smiled shyly back at her when she looked into his blue eyes. "I _had_ planned on that, dear. But it would only work if you and I were together, y'know."

The faintest blush broke out on her face. "W-what do you mean? We're together right now, aren't we?"

"In physical proximity, yes," he replied, nosing her face affectionately. He still smelled like chocolate, much to her amusement. "I meant more along the lines of, like, forever."

Her light pinkness took a turn toward a rich red. "What, as in…being married? Is that a _proposal_?"

"Uh, not formally. Running it by you first sounded like a better idea, just to make sure you weren't totally disgusted by the thought of it." Zelos cast his gaze away, face beginning to flush as well.

Unexpectedly, she started to laugh. His complexion went straight from red to pale. She so had better not find rejecting him _that _funny.

"Is that a not-in-a-million-years laugh, sweetheart?"

Sheena stopped mid-laugh, staring flatly at him. Sometimes he was just so _stupid_! Maybe she could only answer him one way this time.

She weaved her fingers through his long hair, in a flash pulling his face down toward hers. In return, she got a nervous smile. So she pressed her lips strongly against his, feeling him smile through their kiss.

And that time, she was pretty damn sure he understood her answer.

* * *

**A/N**: Aw, that's the end. Hope you guys enjoyed, please review! And to those on my Ning community, I'm posting some Christmas pictures soon, you can all feel free to post pictures of what you got too or whatever!

Much love,

-FP


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